Mottled
by SectumSemprae
Summary: After faking his death yet again, Madara is left pondering his last conversation with Hashirama, and he finds himself trying to find new purpose in life. Unfortunately for Sakura, he's decided that she's going to join him for the ride.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So, I got inspired reading some of the MadaSaku stories here and decided to write one too. Props to all the MadaSaku writers out there! Not sure how "quality" my story's gonna be, but that's OK, this is just for fun. Plus hopefully writing this will help me overcome my writing difficulties on my Batman story. :)

Thank you and enjoy!

~S.S.

* * *

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER ONE-

 **-/-**

"Quick, destroy my Rinnegan!"

In the strange world of Kamui, amidst the infinite boxes, Sakura's hands shook. The handle of her kunai was slippery with sweat. Obito trembled equally hard.

"We can't let it fall into Madara's hands! Hurry!"

Sakura hesitated. _But if we do that, then we'll lose a valuable weapon. It's true that we can't let Madara get this, but… it might be our best chance at stopping him!_

"I can't hold Black Zetsu back much longer!"

She looked into Obito's mismatched eyes. This man, who had brought so much misery on the world, was now kneeling at her mercy, begging for help. _He must know Madara's power. And if he does, then—_

Obito saw her resolve strengthen and her hands grip the kunai a little tighter.

Before she could do as she was asked, a rush of air entered behind them. Then they heard Madara's dark voice: "I don't think so!"

Obito could see the rod coming, straight for the medic. In a second, his Kamui activated.

But Sakura was faster than either man anticipated. She reached out, touched Obito's left eye—

A muffled scream echoed in her ears as she was teleported away.

But not before she felt the foul chakra surge at her back.

* * *

She landed on her knees on the battlefield. There – Kakashi-sensei, blood dripping down the left side of his face like tears. And next to him – Sasuke, his own left eye closed. She could do this!

"Kakashi-sensei! Hurry!"

"Not so fast!"

The shadow materialized directly behind her, like Death himself. For a horrible moment, she locked eyes with Kakashi and Sasuke, and saw terror on both men's faces. _So,_ she realized, _Sasuke does care._

Then, as her own terror gripped her like a mouse in the talons of a hawk, she felt Madara's hand on the collar of her shirt. And she was swept again into Kamui's swirl.

 _This can't fall into his hands!_ She remembered Obito's insistence, and determination surged through her. _There's only one thing left I can do-!_

* * *

Thump! Sakura landed on her knees once again. She looked around, expecting boxes, but was surprised.

Instead of Kamui's dimension, they were in a glade of cherry blossom trees. Why would Madara bring them here?

At that very moment, Madara threw her roughly into a tree.

"Where is it, kunoichi?!" he raged, advancing on her. Sakura struggled to her feet. It gained her absolutely nothing as Madara kicked her directly in the abdomen, sending her flying across the orchard. She immediately clutched her stomach. _Good, nothing broken._

"What did you do with my Rinnegan?! Tell me, kunoichi, or I will show you true terror!"

She rose and took up a defensive posture, facing him. Chakra blazed around her fists. _I have to get that Rinnegan back to Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei, no matter what!_

Madara sighed. "You wish to fight me? Fine. Let's see how well you dance."

Sakura stilled. They could be miles away from the battlefield with no way to get back, independent of Madara taking them back himself. While he didn't look thrilled, it seemed he wasn't in any hurry either, and he was nowhere near out of chakra. If only she'd crushed that eye when she'd had the chance! She could only hope that Naruto, Kakashi, Sasuke, and Obito could come up with a plan while she delayed him.

 _Just come closer, you bastard…_

Madara was fast approaching. She slammed her fist down into the earth. A large crack appeared, just before the entire ground erupted in pandemonium. Rocks and dust rose up, temporarily obscuring her opponent from view.

But then, swift as a comet, he was in front of her, and then she dodged to one side, her chakra-enhanced fist snapping up and catching him in the midsection—

He flew backwards, careening through the air, but his new godlike powers allowed him to slow and hover, rather than crash. If it had been anyone else, their ribcage would have been crushed by her immense strength, but instead he merely looked… inconvenienced.

He glared down at her, his Rinnegan eye shining through the dust. It was then that she felt his chakra envelop her, foul and fierce. It wasn't unlike when Pein had destroyed Konoha, all while proclaiming himself a god.

But Pein's hatred paled in comparison to Madara's.

She fled. It was an admirable intention, an acknowledgement of how far beneath him she was. It was sound battle strategy, really. But futile.

She hadn't made it within fifteen feet when his first fireball pierced her back.

"YAAAAAHHH!" She screamed, rolling on the ground, trying to put out the fire. The flak jacket took very little damage, but her hair was another story. The flames had caught and licked at her pink locks, but she managed to put them out, burning her hands in the process. She rolled shakily to her feet, enough to dodge a second volley. This time, fire struck the tree behind her. Sakura barely processed that he had used a single shot of fire, rather than one of his larger techniques. She understood; he needed her alive, so he could get the Rinnegan from her. He was holding back.

The fire spread, blazing from tree to tree, lighting torches that bled sap and cherry blossom petals. Sakura well and truly believed then that he could transform heaven into hell.

"You couldn't have sealed it away or teleported it," Madara mused, still hovering in the center of the orchard. His voice carried to her, soft yet menacing, like the rumble of coals on a bonfire. "I would have noticed. Somehow, in the time it took us to teleport, you hid it from me without using chakra. Which means you still _have it!"_ He dropped from the sky then, and Sakura quailed in terror.

He landed on her, slamming her to the ground with his sheer velocity. Immediately, she rolled to one side, catapulting him with her legs. But this time, the angel of death hung onto her by her shirt collar before flipping them, slamming her headfirst back into the earth. Then he lifted off, holding her high in the air, while she grasped at his hands. The petals from the trees rose from the quaking earth, ablaze, billowing through their hair. The smoke made her choke, but otherwise she determinedly held his gaze, refusing to say a word. Madara smiled. Or rather, he bared his teeth.

"You Leafs don't know when to give up, do you?"

He lowered them slowly to the earth, one gloved hand around Sakura's neck. She struggled, hitting at him with chakra-enhanced hands, but he knocked aside her first blow and caught her second fist as it sailed.

Then, he tightened his grip and broke her wrist.

To her credit, she didn't scream. Instead, she bit her lip until she could taste blood.

He grabbed her chin. "Hold still, that I may look into your eyes and see the answer."

She closed her eyes, willing herself not to look. After all, he still had a Sharingan in his left eye. His grip tightened until she could feel the strain in her teeth. And then, quick as a snake, she twisted her chin out of his grip and _bit him_. He backhanded her across the face.

"Tell me now!"

"I'll never tell you!" she screamed. "I'll take it to my grave!"

"I will _make_ you tell me if it's the last thing you do."

"I destroyed it! It's gone!"

"You lie." He surveyed her with his cold glare, and she could sense his growing malice.

With a vicious grunt, he tore her flak vest with one hand, the filling shredding and scattering as he ripped straight up, from navel to collar. Then, he roughly felt her flak vest and black undershirt, searching for the eye she concealed. She gritted her teeth. He tore through her pockets, scrolls and medicine pouring out. He stopped for a moment to peruse the scrolls, holding her at bay with one hand as she renewed her struggles.

The eye wasn't there.

"Hmm…" he hummed, staring down at her, and a soft, malicious smirk stole across his face.

"Ahh, kunoichi. You have ten holes, ten orifices in which you can hide valuable things. One greater than the average shinobi. But after that difference, you are simply more hollow than the rest of us."

Sakura's breath froze in her throat.

Madara's eyes seemed to be piercing her.

Then, without warning, he thrust his hand straight through her stomach.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"

He withdrew his blood-splattered arm, Rinnegan clutched triumphantly in his fist. Beneath him, wide-eyed with pain, Sakura shuddered, her face rapidly losing color. Blood dribbled from her lips, and she shakily moved her good hand toward her ripped abdomen.

Madara stood to his full height, anticipation surging through him, and casually wiped her saliva and stomach acid from the Rinnegan. His eyes flickered to the burning trees.

"These cherry trees are appropriate, are they not, kunoichi? The samurais of old revered their blossoms, for like each of them, the blossoms are short-lived, beautiful and tragic as they perish. That we could all know such beauty…!" He smiled down at her. "Enjoy your last moments."

And then, he blurred. Kakashi's eye was still in his left socket, she remembered blearily. She could barely see the familiar spiral of the Kamui.

And just before darkness overtook her, she reached out with her good hand and grasped his ankle.


	2. Chapter 2

Wow! You guys are awesome! Thank you so much for your thoughtful reviews, and to everyone who has faved and followed! And again, a shout-out to all the other Madara X Sakura writers on here, and to all the readers and writers on here in general. So thankful for this supportive community.

I'll try to update once a week or so. See you all in the next chapter!

~S.S.

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER TWO-

 **-/-**

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

He could hear the jinchuuriki's howl as he returned to the battlefield. He also felt a slight loosening along his ankle. Curious, he looked down, just in time to see the medic's fingers slacken as she fully lost consciousness. _So she was that determined to come back to them, even like this._

"It doesn't look like she can dance any longer. What a boring partner." Casually he kicked his foot, sending Sakura flying through the air. Naruto caught her.

"You _bastard!"_

"Come, Naruto," Madara held out his hand. "You'll be reunited with her and all your other friends soon enough, in the dream world."

"I… won't let her die!" Naruto knelt down, putting his hand on her stomach wound. The Kyuubi's markings were even more feral across his face.

"Naruto, enough! We have to stop him!"

"Shut up, Sasuke!"

"It doesn't matter what you do now… It's time for the dream world to be created!" Madara ascended… Or would have, had one of Naruto's clones not been closing in, trying for one last attack—

BAM! The clone hit an invisible wall. And Sasuke was already shouting out: "Naruto! He has four shadows now! It's pointless to attack him like that!"

"Since when do I give up, bastard?!" the clone shouted back. "Didn't you just say we need to stop him!?"

"I meant we need to _coordinate_ before we just rush in!"

 _Plop!_

The sudden sound made everyone stare. Madara had dropped an eye from his hand. Another of Naruto's clones snatched it up. It was a Mangekyo Sharingan. Kakashi's stolen left eye.

Madara had the Rinnegan in both eyes.

They were all _doomed._

Quicker than a blur, Naruto and Sasuke leaped for Madara. When Madara sent meteorites down upon them moments later, Sasuke activated his Susanoo and cut through them. Naruto dealt with Madara's shadows from the ground and hurled Bijuudama Rasenshurikens into the atmosphere. They fought hard, but it was far too late.

Madara approached the moon. Once he was fully bathed in its light, he tore the horn from his forehead, revealing a third eye. Slowly, that third eye opened.

And with a final hand seal, the Infinite Tsukuyomi began.

* * *

 _All the world over, the holy tree grew,_

 _Roots spreading, scooping up all life,_

 _Body by body,_

 _Returning their chakra to the Mother..._

* * *

Madara felt triumph surge through his very being. He had done it! He had saved the world! Now, the curse of chakra and ninshuu would end. Everyone would live in perfect peace within their own sweet dreams, wrapped safely in the roots of the holy tree. No more wars! No more pain!

And the relief was so great. It was as if, for the first time in longer than he had ever known, he could rest. His great dream, the one that had spanned his whole lifetime and beyond, was realized. For the first time… He had won.

He was the savior.

But then, something rustled on the ground. A Susanoo unfurled its wings.

So. Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi had managed to remain outside of the dream world. He couldn't tell if their medic was dead or just knocked out, but it didn't matter. Naruto and Sasuke were the only ones with any real power to stop him now and undo everything he had achieved...

"…You're the only ones left to get rid of," he heard Black Zetsu saying. Great minions think similarly to their masters, apparently.

"I'm the savior of this world," he stated proudly as he touched down. "I'll do it."

"Madara!" the jinchuuriki growled.

"Be careful," the young Uchiha warned. "We're surrounded by his shadows…"

Indeed, they were. But it didn't matter that the boy could see them. He and his teammates were trapped just the same.

"I won't let you do anything else. I just stopped the fate of this world." Madara walked closer to them, as if he could share the good news. He could see them tensing, however. He knew they wouldn't go along willingly. Such a pity. "I freed people from pain, suffering, emptiness!"

Even as he neared them, they held their ground. He didn't need to get too close; after all, his shadows still surrounded them. But he wanted to savor this. He wondered how they would feel to stand in the presence of a true god.

He stepped over the medic's prone body.

"That is just… a damn lie!" the jinchuuriki finally exploded.

"Naruto…" Madara stopped. "You're getting in the way of everyone's happiness." He glared, willing them to understand. "Our game ends here."

The moon was silent overhead, blemished in shadows, and yet the white had never shone more purely.

"I turned hell into heaven. You should—"

And right then, the tiniest pinprick in his heel.

Startled, Madara looked down. But it was already too late. The medic's hand was going limp again, and now, an empty hypodermic syringe fell noiselessly to the ground.

Impossible! He hadn't sensed her! She had been unconscious beneath his feet! But as he focused on her face, he saw her green eyes were open and blazing. He swore there was a glint of triumph in them. His anger came suddenly, though it was swiftly countered by a wave of dizziness. After all his hard work, to be foiled by a mere—

Slowly, Uchiha Madara listed to one side. Everything seemed to slow for him, and then… With an almighty _thump_ , the so-called savior of the world collapsed on top of the medic.

* * *

"Sakura-chan! Are you OK?"

"Ugh! Just get him off me!"

"Sakura-chan, you did it! You stopped him!"

"Seriously, Naruto... A little help please?"

"I don't get it, Sakura-chan. Why don't you use your super strength?"

Sakura grunted. "I need to finish healing first. And he gives me the creeps! I just want him off me!" Naruto helped her push Madara aside, and she stood up, putting a palm to her abdomen to finish what Naruto had started. "Thank you, Naruto..."

Naruto chuckled. "It's the least I could do after all those times you healed me!"

She smiled at him in response.

"You guys should play catch-up later," they heard Sasuke say. "We still have work to do."

Team 7 looked out over the barren landscape. Dangling from the roots of the holy tree were cocoons of bodies, strewn out as far as the eye could see.

"This is just wrong! We have to undo the genjutsu somehow! Hey Sasuke, can you use your eyes to cancel it out?"

Kakashi sighed, "It's not that simple." He hadn't taken his eyes off of Obito- or rather, Black Zetsu. The parasitic enemy seemed subdued, head bowed and facing the ground. For now.

"Well then make it simple, -ttebayo! You know I can't handle complicated! Tell me what to do!"

"How long do you think they'll be safe like that before the tree drains all their chakra?" Sakura asked worriedly.

Team 7 was silent for a moment.

"Well, at least that's the end of Madara," Sasuke said with grim satisfaction.

"Good riddance," Naruto agreed. Sakura frowned.

"Wait! W-why is he glowing that way?"

"HUH?!" Naruto whipped his head around, and Sasuke swore.

Madara's unconscious body wasn't lying on the ground anymore; rather, he was floating in midair. His eyes fluttered.

Team Seven tensed. But Madara didn't seem to be in control of his own actions. Slowly the haze of the knock-out drugs cleared from his expression-

 _SQUAALCH!_

Madara's eyes were huge, and slowly beginning to twitch. His mouth fell open. _"What-?"_

A black hand extended through his chest. Crimson blood slowly dripped from the wound, darkening the white robes... And something else. Something black slithered out from the arm piercing him, spreading like an infection.

Naruto barely caught a glimpse of Black Zetsu, grinning from behind Madara. Team Seven looked at each other, their nerves grating. Something was very very wrong... Somehow, this situation had _worsened._

"You! What are you doing?!" Naruto yelled.

"We haven't reached the final phase of the plan yet," Black Zetsu responded with a stitched grin. "Of course, Madara didn't realize this part... I suppose we should thank you, medic-nin, for knocking him out for us. He might have been much more resistant if he were awake."

Sakura blanched. "What!?"

"Black Zetsu..." Madara growled. Somehow, despite the horrible wound, his voice carried and strengthened. "How- how _dare_ you?!" There, dangling on the end of Black Zetsu's arm, he wasn't bleeding out as expected.

He was beginning to _expand_.

"So that was your plan all along..." Kakashi said, narrowing his eyes. "You used Madara like a puppet. Exactly how he used Obito."

The air grew heavy, pressing against them. Sakura could barely draw a breath.

"Something like that..." Black Zetsu hummed. "But it doesn't matter now. Our work has paid off, and now Mother can finally return."

There was a flash of light.

Team 7 gasped for breath. The air was lighter now, but with the sudden fear coursing through them, they might as well have been underwater. Madara was _gone_. Floating before them in his place, in the flesh, was...

"Ootsutsuki Kaguya," Sasuke murmured. Sakura looked over at him in alarm.

"Holy shit!" Naruto yelped.

Kaguya gave them all a bloody smile.

* * *

 _And the Mother collected the chakra_

 _Into her own body_

 _As she and the beasts and holy tree were once again united;_

 _But her lust for chakra was such that_

 _She would not rest until she possessed all,_

 _And her sons would not rest until_

 _They had sealed her away once again._

* * *

"Naruto, Sasuke, and everyone. Thank you for saving the world."

After those words, Sakura's memory was a blur. The Sage of Six Paths – the actual Sage of Six Paths himself – had shown up to say that to them. It must have said something about the sheer insanity of the war that Sakura had an emotional flatline when he appeared. Had she been younger, she was sure she would have fainted. But at that point, nothing surprised her anymore. And she was quite frankly tired of it all.

She said that out loud. Which was probably why the Sage had ignored her from that point onward.

Not that this bothered her. There were ghosts, undead Edo Tensei shinobi, and Tailed Beasts all around her. More than enough to occupy her attention. _Was that Sandaime Kazekage over there?!_ It was weird seeing him as a ghost now instead of as one of Sasori's puppets...

Just when things couldn't get any crazier – _I mean,_ Sakura thought, _how often is it that Uchiha-fricken'-Madara comes back from the dead and proceeds to kick everyone's butt all at once?_ – the ancient, original chakra-owning Rabbit Demon-Goddess Kaguya herself had shown up and tried to end Team 7. It involved dimensions, weird Sharingan miracles, and some _very_ last minute teamwork, but they had successfully defeated a _goddess_. Sakura had even gotten the final punch in before Naruto and Sasuke had sealed her away.

 _Not bad at all_ , her thoughts continued. _Now can we please release everyone from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, heal them all, and then go home?_

Kakashi began to slump over, his ordeal finally catching up with his body. She caught him and let him lean into her, supporting him. His eyes were normal again. And though she wouldn't tell him this right away, it was probably going to be better for his long-term health. Obito's Sharingan had caused quite a strain on his system.

She found herself looking toward the outer part of the circle of bijuu, and her eyes sighted Uchiha Madara.

Sakura started. How did _he_ get there?! _Wasn't he absorbed?!_ Goosebumps erupted across her skin. True, he was lying down, but... As her heart calmed, she began to think logically.

He had to have been spat out when Sasuke and Naruto sealed Kaguya. His hair was no longer white – the entire aura of the Six Paths had faded, which meant his powers must have been stripped from him. The patronizing God was no more; now he lay in the dirt, shirtless and ordinary, shuddering with every breath. He looked so… so… She didn't know how to call it. Not weak. That fearsome man would never look weak – even in this state, she would be wary of approaching him. But something about him… Defeated. That was what she would call it. He looked defeated.

He _was_ defeated. They had **won**.

And that, more than anything they had faced with Kaguya, finally made it sink in for Sakura. Madara, the monster who had dominated the battlefield and killed so many shinobi, the man who had ripped the Nine Tails from Naruto and put him on the brink between life and death… Uchiha Madara was on the ground and dying. He couldn't hurt them anymore.

Relief welled up inside her.

She noticed Shodai-sama walking up to him. Hadn't they been personal enemies back in the day? But she couldn't imagine Shodai-sama being mean or nasty. He seemed like a warmer person than that – like Naruto. Maybe, like Naruto, he wanted to make peace at the very end. Naruto could never hold a grudge… Then again, she didn't know Shodai-sama. Hadn't he killed Madara before? How had Madara escaped his death back then?

She turned her eyes away from them then. Whatever their business was, it was none of hers.

Instead, her gaze flickered over to Sasuke. _He_ was watching Shodai-sama and Madara.

 _What now?_ A tiny grain of hope flared within Sakura. Would he come home now? Would they finally be a team again?

* * *

 _"Hashirama…?"_

 _"Yeah."_

 _A mutual look, filled with longing and pain and regret so deep…_

 _"We both have things we want so badly, but never seem to get."_

 _"No one said it was easy! There's a limit to how much we can do while we're alive. That's why we leave it to the next generation… They'll do it for us."_

 _A half-smile. "You're still… so naïve… Hahah… Well… You always were the… optimistic one." A painful swallow. It won't be long now. "Maybe…" the light fades in one eye, "…I should've… gone that way too… My dream… is coming… to an end. But yours… hasn't yet…"_

 _"…You were in such a rush…" Hashirama speaks regretfully. "It was fine even if our dreams didn't come true. The most important thing was to make sure we brought up a generation that would help us fulfill it."_

 _"…Then it might have been impossible for me from the start." His smile weakens. "I hated having… someone… follow me from… behind."_

 _Hashirama smiles fondly. "Remember back when we were children? You once said, 'Ninjas never know when they die.' And if there ever were a way to immortality, that we'd share it no matter what… That we'd have to exchange our cups and become brothers. But we're both dying now." His smile is wider and yet even gentler at the same time. It's the smile he remembers. "So… The only thing we can do now, is to exchange our cups as comrades."_

 _He can barely breathe. But he draws in a final breath, just the same._

 _"Comrades… huh… well… if… that's… how… it is… then… I… won't…"_

 _A head lolls back gently, the last of his air hissing into silence. He never sees Hashirama's smile falter, as his oldest friend begins to mourn him once again._

* * *

Kakashi-sensei's body felt heavier to Sakura suddenly. And she understood why. The souls of the dead were being recalled to the Pure Lands, as the Sage had told them. Kakashi's own sensei, Yondaime-sama, was leaving. Sakura could see Naruto, shaking with grief, trying so hard to smile at his dad one last time. She could hear his words, all the wishes, all the things he had longed to share with his parents. Though she stood still and helped Kakashi-sensei remain on his feet, she wished so much she could run to Naruto and soothe his gentle heart. It wasn't right that he should suffer this way, that he'd had his parents taken from him so early – by the man who had come through for them in the end, no less! She wanted to comfort him. But she knew. This was another private moment, this one between father and son. The last moment Naruto would ever have with him.

 _Naruto…_

She watched as he finished his message to his father to deliver to his mother, and when he raised his face, she saw he was smiling and crying at the same time. And just seeing that, she knew he would be OK, even if the pain would always be there.

Then, as the spirits departed, Sakura felt a lightness. And in spite of everything, she smiled a little.

As attention turned to the bijuu and what was next for them, Sakura found herself watching Sasuke again. He hadn't said a word that she'd heard, and even though they had just fought side by side, she got a feeling about him. Just what had he meant when he said he'd be Hokage? He knew it was Naruto's dream – heck, everyone did, and it was that much closer to becoming reality now! – but did he have a different vision of what Hokage meant? She couldn't read him. And he hadn't answered her earlier when she'd asked him. And then the unpleasant thought crept in… She really didn't know Sasuke anymore, did she?

The conversation had turned to releasing the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and Sakura pricked her ears up.

"How do you do it?" the Nine Tails was asking. "Do you need our powers too?"

 _The Nine Tails, asking how to help,_ Sakura mused. _Naruto really did change him, didn't he?_

"No, it's fine..." the Sage of Six Paths replied. "All we need to do is get Naruto, who has all the chakra of the Tailed Beasts, and Sasuke's Rinnegan to tie the spell's roots together and undo it completely."

So that was it. Even in the end, it was about teamwork. No one shinobi could do it alone.

"Now, what about you, Sasuke?"

"Let me see... First, I want to put the Kages out of their misery."

Sakura's stomach dropped. He... he was talking about... WHAT?!

" _What_ did you say, Sasuke?" Kakashi had spun around. There was a terrifyingly severe look on his face. At that same moment, Team 7 collectively felt Sasuke's killing intent spike.

"Also! Tailed beasts..." His eyes flicked over to them briefly, and an instantaneous change came over them. One minute they had been able to pounce on the boy who would presume to leash them, and in the next moment they were under the spell of his eyes.

Sakura's heart was pounding so hard. Sasuke was ranting about his "revolution", while she could only gasp out his name. And she remembered, when he had joined the war, when he had declared his intention to become Hokage... He hadn't just meant it in terms of succession. He'd said something! What was it? _"It's the current Kages that have made things turn out this way. And that's why I'll become Hokage and change the village."_ So he hadn't just been talking about wanting to become a better Kage than the ones he looked down on. He actually planned to _kill them?!_ _Including her shishou?!_ And he sincerely thought that he would become a Kage after that? He'd be lucky if he were still alive!

Right then, Sasuke clapped his hands together.

The earth seemed to explode around them. She leaped backward with Kakashi, choking on dust. She could hear the screams of the bijuu and the rumbling of the rocks as Sasuke's jutsu lifted them high into the air, entombing each of them inside a miniature moon. Through the cloud of dust and rocks, she could barely see the nine moons rising higher and higher up, almost twinkling in the cold dawn.

"Naruto! HELP!" Kurama, the Nine Tailed Demon Fox, was actually crying out for help. The sound was chilling to Sakura.

 _Sasuke was really doing this._

Before she could move to stop him, she felt an arm snake around her waist, and she was being spun around. A flash of a face, and suddenly she was out cold.

* * *

The world seemed dim when she woke up. It must still be very early, which meant she hadn't been out for that long. There were still traces of purple and deep blue in the sky overhead. The smell of pines.

Sakura sat up. She was in a clearing in a forest.

 _How-?_ She couldn't remember how she had gotten here. Who had grabbed her? She remembered the flash of face she had seen.

Sharingan! Whoever it was had the Sharingan! Had Sasuke done this? At that thought, she lurched to her feet. Sasuke needed to be stopped. At the rate he was going, he was going to turn into the next-

She wasn't alone. A prickle at the back of her neck. She spun around, kunai already in hand.

Red armor, jointed over chest and shoulders, like the samurais of old. Long, ragged, windswept ebony hair. Cold eyes, staring directly into hers.

Sakura dropped her gaze immediately, heart pounding. _Is this genjutsu?!_ She raised her fingers to try to dispel it. "KIAI!"

Nothing.

Her kidnapper chuckled. And then his chakra washed over her.

Sakura gagged. It was by far the foulest chakra she had ever felt. She wasn't a Hyuuga, nor any sort of sensor type, but she didn't need to be. This chakra _reeked_ of malice and death. Unbidden, she remembered the glade of cherry blossom trees – the way the petals had smelled when they caught fire. _There was no way…!_

But there was also no mistaking this chakra. _His_ chakra.

Uchiha Madara himself stood before her, _very much alive._

* * *

.

.

A/N: So, Al3xF41r caught my mistake in this chapter! ;) You have excellent attention to detail, Al3x. I had noticed my mistake a while after I wrote Chapter 4, but was being lazy and didn't change it, hoping no one else would notice it. Thank you for keeping me on my toes! I'll correct my other goofs later... On with the story! 1/18/18


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Wow, thank you, you guys! Thank you again to everyone who followed, faved, and reviewed especially! Your reviews make my day when I read them. They make me smile and feel even more excited about writing this story. Kindness in general just lifts me up. Feeling super humbled by you guys. *blushes*

Here's the next chapter. I hope it won't disappoint!

~S.S.

* * *

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER THREE-

 **-/-**

 _He lives._

Sakura leaped back as if burned. Madara's smile widened. His gunbai was strapped to his back, and he had his arms folded in front of him. He didn't seem in a rush to attack — rather, he seemed _amused_ at her obvious fear of him.

Sakura would have been angry if she weren't so terrified.

He was alive. How the HELL was he still alive?! _That ordeal with Kaguya should have killed him!_

Almost casually, Madara took a step forward, and Sakura tensed. "Medic—"

"Shannaro!" She leaped at him. Of course, he caught her wrist.

"Hah!" She struck him with her other arm, someplace low on his armor. His grip slackened, and as it did, she delivered a roundhouse kick that threw him several feet away. Much to her ire, he landed perfectly on his feet, not a hair out of place.

She punched the ground. As she did, the last of her chakra flickered out. But it was enough. As fissures erupted, Madara leaped to find balance. And while he did, she retreated.

Through the woods. Up a tree, far enough away that he couldn't follow her readily. Strangely, she knew her lack of chakra was giving her a momentary advantage – it'd be much harder for him to track her without a chakra signal.

Once she paused to catch her breath, the enormity of the situation hit her.

Uchiha Madara was alive. She had seen him die, seen Shodai-sama mourn him, and yet here he was! Alive, well, and after her! Suddenly she couldn't breathe. Her body shook so hard that she had to dig her fingers into the bark to steady herself. She tried desperately to gulp down air.

 _Think, Sakura, think! What are his strengths, weaknesses? What's his fighting style? Focus!_

He no longer had the chakra of the tailed beasts, so he couldn't go into Six Paths mode. When he was lying on the ground, he still had Hashirama's facial implant on him... Or at least, it had looked that way from a distance. So he still had access to massive amounts of chakra, self-healing capabilities, and wood release. And he had the Rinnegan. So all the capabilities of the Rinnegan AND the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. Just great.

 _Wait, Rinnegan... Sharingan... That's it!_

 _If his eyes are his greatest strength, then... Visibility...! I've gotta reduce visibility somehow. I don't have lightning release, so I can't blind him that way... I don't have any smoke bombs... Maybe the dust from my Blossom Impact could hide me..._

He was fast. Good taijutsu, even better ninjutsu. He seemed to rely a lot on his Susanoo, which should eat up a lot of chakra… But who honestly knew how much chakra that guy had?! He was a chakra monster, practically!

The best chance she would have would be close-range fighting. That was what Inoichi had said when they had launched the Ninja Alliance Ultimate Jutsu... She fought back a wave of sadness as she thought of Ino's dad.

OK, refocus. Madara was good at taijutsu, and he could predict her movements with the Sharingan, so it would be difficult… but in terms of ninjutsu, he was even deadlier. She was stronger at taijutsu than ninjutsu, so she should play to her own strengths. And she could use the surrounding environment to throw him off, if she could think quickly enough. But it would be hard to get to him once he got inside of his Susanoo. And she'd wasted enough time – he might have summoned it already!

 _There's no way I'm making it out of this alive,_ Sakura thought solemnly. She winced; her body felt clammy and cold. _Of course. That was never an expectation. But Naruto and Sasuke_ —She gasped, her head shooting straight up. _That's right!_ She looked up past the trees. Her mouth fell open in horror.

The nine miniature moons were still hanging in the sky. And now that she focused, she could sense a terrible chakra. It was the faintest trace, like a phantom scent on the breeze, but she recognized it. It was Naruto using the Nine Tails' chakra.

They were fighting!

She gritted her teeth. Either she could stay and fight Madara, or she could try to get away to help her boys. Or to get _their_ help! If they knew Madara was still alive, maybe they would stop fighting and reunite against him.

Or maybe she should try to delay Madara and hope that they would stop fighting by the time he went after them. If she tried to run, he would overtake her. She didn't know how far away Naruto and Sasuke were, and... And if they were still fighting, then the Infinite Tsukuyomi was still in effect. Her heart stopped.

So in other words, she, Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, and Madara might be _the only people left awake on Earth!_ This was _madness!_

Sakura tried to control her violent shivering.

Naruto and Sasuke were still in danger. Madara couldn't _not_ want to go after them, after everything. Naruto would have to handle Sasuke. She had to believe in them. But maybe she should still try to run—

Too late. She could feel Madara's chakra flaring, getting closer. He was hunting her down.

So, close-range taijutsu. Her enhanced strength punches would give her an edge. But she didn't stand a chance without chakra. She _knew_ this. Was this really it?! Was she going to die out here, uselessly, because she didn't have any chakra?! _Dammit!_

And then, she remembered. _Stupid!_ Why hadn't she thought of it earlier? Madara had stripped her of her medical supplies hours ago (with the lucky exception of that one syringe, which was why she had used it then), and the acid waterfall had finished off her flak jacket... but Madara hadn't touched her footgear. She _always_ kept a spare scroll attached to her ankle… And it would contain just what she needed.

"I can do this…"

Silently, she pulled out her reserve scroll, summoning what was inside.

Five soldier pills. She had to make them count. She ate the first one.

A sharp jolt, nearly painful, as her chakra forcibly replenished. And she knew, in that moment, that he had caught the flare. He would be headed her way.

"For you, Team 7!" she whispered.

And with that, she leapt from the tree.

He was much closer than she expected. But the foliage had given her enough cover. He didn't see her raised fist until it was too late.

"SHANNARO!"

Her battle cry sounded magnified in her ears. Madara took her fist directly to his face. He dropped like a stone.

"I'm not through with you yet," she growled.

Blurring to the ground, she picked Madara up and lifted him.

"Full Blossom: Cherry Blossom Impact!"

BOOM! She slammed Madara down so hard that not even his feet were left sticking out of the ground.

She waited, poised. An ordinary man might be killed or at least slowed down by such a move, but Madara Uchiha was anything but ordinary. He would be coming up for her. She couldn't afford to lose focus.

"Heh heh heh… So, you have a little more dance in you than I imagined!"

Sakura folded her hands together.

"Ninja Art Creation Rebirth: Strength of a Hundred Technique!"

The markings blazed across her face and down the rest of her body. And right then, she sighted the helm of Madara's Susanoo.

She narrowed her eyes. Fear or not, she wouldn't stop. But Susanoo rose far too quickly from the Earth, and she could see Madara inside, arms folded smugly across his chest.

Susanoo gave her an unsettling grin. She prepared to dodge.

Tsunade-shishou had faced his Susanoo. It had taken all five Kages to face one, and then he'd added 24 more. What chance did she have against him?!

She had to try. Try to break Susanoo's bones, something, anything! As long as it slowed him down! And then, maybe, maybe somehow she could warn Naruto and Sasuke. But how? Their summons were still trapped in the dream world!

Her eyes widened as she took in Madara's Susanoo.

It wasn't in its perfect form. Lady Tsunade had hurriedly told her about it once they reconvened on the battlefield. There were different forms – armored, humanoid, perfect… But this wasn't any of those. Susanoo only had its skeleton now.

She clenched her fists. He was underestimating her! Well, she'd use that to her advantage before he learned otherwise.

"I shouldn't be surprised." She flinched at Madara's haughty voice. "How like a Leaf ninja to struggle first and ask questions later! Do you even know why I captured you, girl?"

Sakura refused to answer. It would do no good to respond to his taunts.

"I could tell you, but you likely won't listen. So I suppose I shall have to give you a beating first."

Her stomach lurched. Susanoo was suddenly drawing its sword, raising it high. She dodged as it slammed into the earth. Again and again, she dodged its swings, and gradually she gained ground. Closer and closer to Madara…

A flame shot from Susanoo's mouth – Madara was aiming for her from within the spectral warrior. She coated her body in chakra, letting herself be engulfed in flames, hiding her from his sight for a moment, and leaped.

The flames followed her up. Keeping her momentum, she punched Susanoo right in the face. Her fist couldn't touch Madara, but the face of the spectre cracked, and Sakura felt almost as satisfied.

Then she was falling and Susanoo's sword was coming to meet her—

She punched the sword away before landing in a crouch, pink hair swaying restlessly.

Before Susanoo or Madara could turn, she rolled away, coming to a stop at a downed tree. As Susanoo turned, Sakura hurled the tree with all her might. It bounced off Susanoo's head, widening the crack. But then the sword swept toward her, level with the ground instead of from above. Sakura only barely managed to dodge.

"You are quite the dancer, aren't you?" Madara called down to her, his eyes intense. "That seal on your body is reminiscent of the one I saw on the First Hokage's granddaughter. Am I to assume she was your teacher?"

Sakura remained silent, waiting, ready. Before her, Susanoo hissed and shimmered.

"Well, I will say this. Despite your moves, your steps are shallower than hers. And hers were even shallower than the First Hokage's! In other words, you are both a disgrace to the Senju!"

Her jaw tightening, she bolted forward.

"And considering I left your master _bisected_ , you might wish to surrender now, little girl, before I make you suffer!"

Sakura's answer was a fist to Susanoo's ribcage. The spectral being jolted but didn't crack.

"Weak," Madara sneered.

"Think again!" Sakura responded, and then she was battering Susanoo with rapid, chakra-enhanced strikes.

Susanoo's ribcage didn't merely crack. It _crumbled_. And Sakura watched as Madara gloriously tumbled out of his tower, hair flying everywhere.

He landed on his feet, and Sakura was already upon him.

He dodged her fist, but she flashstepped behind him, kicking him hard. Again, she blurred in front of him, but to her horror, he was smiling back at her, and faster than she could see, he whipped his gunbai in front of him.

She practically ricocheted off the surface, flying backward with a howl. The chakra from her own punch had been reflected back onto her with interest. She could sense Madara's own wind element in the reflected attack, and the energy produced lacerations all over her body, starting in her fist and expanding like spiderwebs. Sakura tumbled end over end, coming to a stop at the base of a tree.

"Alright... I'll play with you."

Madara was walking toward her, head proud, a smile tucked behind his raven hair.

"Now, _writhe!"_

She stood quickly, the seal healing her, and readied her fists. But Madara was already airborne.

 _'Fire Style: Dragon Flame Caterwaul!'_

Her eyes widened.

He breathed the fire onto her. She grunted in pain, rolling to the side. Madara began to strike her over and over, his gunbai moving in fluid, brutal swings.

With a final hit, he threw her some distance away, then closed in on her in an instant. She caught his gunbai as he swung down. For a moment, they wrestled with each other; it took all of Sakura's strength to hold him back.

Faster than she could see, Madara's hand wrapped around her neck. He lifted her clear off the ground.

"While I can't say much for your ninjutsu, your taijutsu and sheer stubbornness are above what I expected. But tell me... Were you holding back before?"

Burning cherry blossom trees flashed before her vision, and unwittingly, the fire reflected in her eyes.

"Of course I was holding back!" she managed to grit. "When the others are around- _ngh_ \- it's all about them. My job is to keep- keep them alive from behind the scenes- _haa-_ while they risk their l-lives..." One hand rose to grasp Madara's. "I hold their lives in my heart and- in my hands, and I h- _hesitate_ , if there's the slightest danger to them." She began to gather chakra in her other fist, the one behind her back. "But when I'm on my own, it's a whole 'nother story! _Shannaro!_ "

Her fist exploded into Madara's chin. The force of the blow propelled him across the small clearing, freeing Sakura from his grasp. She landed on her feet, breathing heavily yet triumphantly. Her knees quivered; she realized then that she was nearly at the limit of her seal.

She retreated. Amazing, to think she had used all that chakra already. But Madara required nothing less than full effort.

So. She would retreat and then fight him, again and again, for as long as she had to, or until she collapsed. Right now, she needed to replenish her stores. Maybe she could take another soldier pill. But if she wasn't careful, the strain on her body might be too much. Soldier pills weren't meant to be consumed this way. She needed proper rest, food... Things she hadn't had in over two days.

The seal faded on her body, receding back into her forehead diamond. Just then, her legs nearly gave out, but she leaned against a tree.

The air was silent, except for her soft panting.

The forest was quite deep. She could get lost in here if she wanted to. Maybe he'd waste time looking for her, or maybe he'd give up. Right now, she could use the forest to her advantage.

 _Naruto, Sasuke, wait for me!_

Maybe Kakashi-sensei was talking some sense into them right now. He could de-escalate them, right? Right?

Where had Sasuke gotten that thinking from, anyway? What made him suddenly decide to become the leader of the world? Just days ago in the Land of Iron, he had been threatening to kill everyone in Konoha as a way to avenge his clan... And now he wanted to be Hokage? To kill off the previous Kage? Had Madara influenced him with his Moon's Eye Plan, with his overwhelming need to control everything? What was so hard to understand about free will?

But maybe she was the one who didn't understand reality, she considered. What, honestly, had happened to her that could compare to the pain of losing your whole family? She could be there for Sasuke, but it wasn't the same as having _been there_. Naruto could relate better. That was why...

The birds had stopped chirping. That was not a good sign.

Sakura grew very quiet. Was Madara close by? She listened but couldn't hear any footsteps.

She flattened herself as best she could against the tree trunk. And suddenly, she realized...

The trunk was far too warm.

She gasped, spinning around, but it was too late. Madara had already emerged from the tree behind her. She struggled in his grasp, and he brought them both down to the forest floor, pinning her beneath his weight.

He turned her body over so she was lying fully on her back and loomed over her.

"Now, then, let me explain the real reason why I've brought you here..." he said softly.

He gripped her hands and dragged them close to himself. Only then did she realize that he had stripped off his armor and shirt.

"Heal me."

He forced her hands to his chest.

"You will heal me, medic. Now."

And that was when she saw it. His implant of Shodai-sama, or rather the place where it had been... was ruined. The skin was mottled with bruises and what looked like internal bleeding, or possibly trapped chakra bubbles. In the center of the implant site, Madara's flesh was blackened and burned, as if charcoal had lain in his chest instead.

That he was capable of fighting in this condition was nothing short of miraculous. He must be nearing his limit, considering the severity of his wounds. Suddenly, it came to her in a moment of perfect clarity: since everyone else on Earth was asleep, she was presently the only person in all the world capable of healing him. He would have healed himself, but his implant had been destroyed. He _needed_ her.

Immediately, she tried to withdraw her hands. _She would not heal this monster!_

She was wrenched upright. He flared his chakra, and the sheer proximity of it, the intensity and ferocity of it, did something wholly unexpected.

Without meaning to, Sakura activated her seal one final time. The seal marks extended past her forehead, wrapping around her whole body. As she watched in horror, her seal emblazoned and spread itself across Madara's alabaster skin, radiating out from the point where her palms touched his chest, spreading her chakra into his system.

His grip was fracturing her wrists. His chakra was blazing into her with the heat of an inferno; she finally recognized what smell his chakra reminded her of: _sulfur_. Sakura screamed in her mind. His chakra was so _ghastly_ , so _violent_. It grated against her own chakra like a jagged surface. Her body convulsed, but her chakra's flow only seemed to strengthen. And it must have been doing what Madara wanted, because he smiled triumphantly.

His smile terrified her.

She began to shake uncontrollably. Frantically, she flooded his chest with healing chakra, where the implant had been. And slowly, the reddened edges of the wound began to mend and close.

Her limbs couldn't hold up. And suddenly, too suddenly, Sakura felt the telltale wave of nausea and fatigue that meant her chakra had almost run out. But Madara's eyes blazed into hers, and his grasp was tightening, and she wanted to scream from the pain– She didn't dare stop! He wouldn't let her!

Now the world was too bright. She was getting light-headed. Yet her terror was fresh, racing through her to a dizzying degree. Right now, Sakura had never been more certain than in anything that if she stopped for even a moment, Madara would kill her right here.

She scraped the bottom of her reserve, and with a final push, emptied the last of her chakra into his system.

Her hands flickered then, the glow of her chakra dying out. She inhaled sharply and tried to look up, tried to see how he would react, dreading the worst.

But blackness came swiftly, and she was unconscious even before her body fell, face-first into Madara's lap.

Madara's eyes narrowed. That was… not _wholly_ unexpected. The ninjas of this generation were truly pathetic. The young woman's reserves were abysmal, and if he'd had any other timely options, he'd kill her here and now. But he didn't. So he'd make due with her.

With a sneer, he pushed the young woman off his lap and got to work.

* * *

She awoke on the ground nursing a headache. The sun was higher in the sky now, and she guessed she had only been unconscious for an hour or so. Her skin prickled; she was still a captive. All the bad things that had just happened... those weren't dreams. Those were reality.

She tried to sit up. Her legs and hands were bound with ropes. And when she moved her body, there was a terrible pain that jolted through her system.

Right away, she knew something was terribly wrong.

"What have you done to me?"

Madara had been sitting on a stump outside of her vision, though she was smart enough to know he wouldn't have left her alone. Now he stood up, and slowly and purposefully he made his way to her. When he leaned down to stare at her, his hair cascaded over both of them like a waterfall, and his face was all she could see. His left eye still had the Rinnegan, and his right eye...

From this angle, she could see what she had missed before:

 _Madara was blind in his right eye._

"Now... where were we?"

His left eye bore into hers, and for a moment, his gaze sharpened. It was then that she felt a pinch of pain ripple through her body. It was almost as if, from the look he had given her, that he had _willed_ it-

 _Oh. Oh no._

Mentally, Sakura felt along her back, pinpointed the stinging in her hands, shoulders, and legs. With growing dread, she realized what was there. Chakra receivers. No, worse. Manifestations of Madara's will!

She was trapped!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you guys so much! I am really glad to know that Madara and Sakura are both coming across as in character. It's something I struggle with but take very seriously for my stories. Please, if they ever seem too OOC, let me know! I'm glad you guys liked the fight. :D I confess I spent a little too much time playing _Naruto Shippuden:_ _Ultimate Ninja Storm 3_ and some others, fighting Madara as Sakura and vice versa, in order to get a good idea of choreography and swoon over Madara's voice (for "research purposes." *cough* Great, now I sound like Jiraiya...). You might recognize some one-liners from there too. ^_^

Hana, that would have been hilarious! I can totally picture Madara's face too. :D I like his look in the manga where the smile was frozen on his face, and he was sweat-dropping. Ahh, his love for Hashirama knows no bounds.

And now, on with the story... :D

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER FOUR-

 **-/-**

 _She was trapped!_

Sakura couldn't move even if she wanted to. Sure, she could struggle a little, but any long-term attempts for autonomy would be futile. Madara would shut her down.

She was still wearing her ripped black shirt and pants. One sleeve was missing from the encounter she and Obito had with the acid, and the skin on her arm was badly burned. In spite of the burn, there was a chakra receiver stuck through her upper arm, another through the palm of her hand, and yet more through her legs, back, and the arm on her opposite side. She was dirty, bloodied, exhausted, lying on the ground, and completely at Uchiha Madara's mercy.

"I believe you have some more healing to do," he stared at her pointedly.

She was calm for exactly half a second. "LIKE HELL!"

Before she could sit up, his chakra receptors activated, and she felt herself restrained by his will. She struggled against his control, knowing full well she was utterly ineffective against him, but suddenly unable to control her own rage. "Let go of me! Like hell am I gonna heal you, so you can try to take over the world again! What, do I look stupid?! Nnnngh!"

She struggled for several long seconds, but she couldn't loosen let alone free herself from him. And to her annoyance and embarrassment, he looked _painfully_ bored with her resistance. She heard him sigh, and then he lowered a hand to her shoulder, presumably to calm her, or maybe it was just to show her how powerless she was to stop him. At that thought, something in her snapped, and she buried her teeth into his arm and bit him again, hard.

She was _not_ expecting him to bite her back.

"YEEEEEHHHHH!"

Madara pulled away, absently licking the blood from his mouth. Sakura, shoulder huge and red, was beside herself.

"What the hell?! Shannaro, you jerk! That hurt! Why did you bite me?!"

"Well, what do you expect? You bit me first," Madara stated calmly.

Sakura stopped, eye twitching.

"Let me make this clear." Madara was suddenly deadly serious. "You will do everything I say. Or you will die. Don't think I won't kill you like this! I might not have the medical ninjutsu that you do, but there is nothing to stop me from tearing every scrap of chakra from your body until I snuff your miserable life. So think carefully. What will it be?"

Sakura bit her lip. If she healed him now, he would surely go back and harm Team 7, or possibly try something again with the world. Even though he and Shodai-sama had seemed to make amends, how could she really know what his intentions were? They hadn't been good so far... But at the same time, if she did nothing, he'd probably steal her chakra, kill her, find a way to heal on his own, and then go after her friends anyway. If she healed him slowly, she could possibly stall him, and at best... Yes! _If I examine him while I'm healing_ _him,_ she thought, _maybe I'll find a weakness of some kind. He can't be perfectly immortal, can he? At minimum, the longer he keeps me alive, the more of a chance I have of getting a warning to Naruto and Sasuke somehow... I'm no good to them dead._ It was decided then. There were more advantages to going along with him, for now.

Sakura nodded quietly. "Alright, I'll heal you."

She expected more of a test, but instead Madara, after regarding her silently for a moment, knelt and began untying her wrists. He really hadn't needed to tie her up in the first place: his chakra implants had done a fine job of subduing her. But it was important to establish dominance from the start. Unlike the jinchuuriki, logic seemed to reach her; she knew now that she had no hope of going against him.

As Sakura sat up, she tried not to wince. Every inch her body moved, the receivers grated against nerves and chakra points, sending jolts of pain through her. She began to send out healing chakra for herself, anesthetizing the areas around some of the receivers. But her chakra control had slipped by a lot. It wouldn't be a problem for her to heal Madara, but she would have to do it slowly. Doing too much climbing or jumping with chakra would be risky. And heavy fighting would be out of the question.

Sakura rubbed her wrists gingerly as she reconsidered what she had just agreed to. It was so hard to keep the doubts at bay, especially with such a huge risk...

Madara caught her frown. "What is it?" he asked, exasperated.

"I just—it's unexpected, such a high-ranking shinobi, resorting to _biting_." She sounded like she was trying not to pout. Madara fixed her with a decidedly unimpressed look.

"How else do you suppose I was able to acquire Hashirama's cells?"

Sakura tried not to let her disgust show. _'Geez, he's just like Orochimaru or Kabuto, or, or something! What a freak!'_

"I'm confused. If all you wanted was for me to heal you, then why did you try to kill me after bringing me here?"

"If I recall correctly, kunoichi, _you_ attacked me first."

Sakura sweat-dropped as she realized he was right, but the realization only made her flare with embarrassment, and her Inner Sakura came out. "You can't blame me for that!" she screeched. "As far as I knew, you still wanted to kill us all! You know," she raised her hands, making an exaggerated face, " _'writhe, puny mortals! I am a God!'_ " Madara raised an eyebrow. She cleared her throat and hastily lowered her hands. "…B-but you couldn't just explain what you wanted instead of fighting?"

"I wanted to fight you. I never say no to a good battle, especially one with such a _willing_ participant."

"…Oh."

"Plus, I was curious to check the extent of your power."

" _What?_ Y-you _were?_ "

They stared at each other. Sakura tried not to gawk. No one had been interested in her powers since, well, Akasuna no Sasori. She felt a little self-conscious, suddenly.

"…Ooh yeah, that's right. I'm supposed to heal you, aren't I?"

"You're eager all of a sudden."

"Just curious! I'm a doctor, I've never seen an implant like this one before, a-and it's not as if I have anything better to do right now, and besides, you'd kill me before I could kill you, so… Will you let me heal you now?" She sucked in a breath to stop her rambling.

Now both eyebrows were raised. "You sincerely need to brush up on your persuasiveness, kunoichi. How you've made it so far as a ninja is beyond me. Hmph. Weak."

Sakura twitched. "Healing…you…now."

"Start with my chest wound."

He was so close to her. Quite frankly, his chakra terrified her. To have to touch something so _evil_... "Um..." she squeaked out before she could stop herself. "Do you think you could suppress your chakra while I'm healing you? Please?"

He looked at her impassively. "No."

Shuddering, she brought her healing chakra to her hands and, bracing herself, let it flood Madara's system.

It was like getting punched in the gut. It was so potent, that deadly chakra of his, that she felt true terror pounding through her. He smiled at her eerily, the smile starting in his eyes, as he took true enjoyment in her fear. Even in the presence of the Nine Tails, she hadn't felt this way. She focused on her breathing and extended her chakra even more deeply into his.

The core in the center of his chest still smoldered. She could feel the last vestiges of Shodai-sama's chakra clinging to the edges, but even with her help, the implant wouldn't be able to regenerate. The best she would be able to do, would be to regenerate healthy tissues from Madara's own body. She dreaded telling him this, and instead she began to peruse the rest of his system. Now and then, in areas around his various scars and near his eyes, she sensed more of Shodai-sama's chakra. The loss of the implant would rob him of a major power source, but at least Shodai-sama's chakra wouldn't be totally gone. She breathed a sigh of relief, then immediately began wondering how she could subtly limit the powers he did have.

"Can you please take off your shirt again? It's easier for me to heal if I can see the wound…" For a moment, she feared that he would see through her request. Or else make fun of her. Sadly, she was proven right on the second one.

He rolled his eyes as he complied. "What a pathetic medic you are..."

Sakura gritted her teeth, willing herself into silence.

"There aren't going to be any more outbursts, are there?" he asked, casually flinging his shirt to the side, along with his gunbai.

She hadn't hidden it as well as she'd thought, if he was taunting her this way. Rather than anger, she decided to show embarrassment, scratching behind her head awkwardly. "Hah-hah… Sorry. I get that way when I haven't eaten breakfast… or lunch…" she grumbled the last part, "or dinner… or anything at all for days on end…"

"Use one of your soldier pills. I know you took one before, and I know you have more than one. Don't try to use any of your strength against me. It won't work."

"OK." She pulled the scroll from behind her ankle and re-summoned the pills. She popped one into her mouth and shuddered a little as the chakra surged through her. She almost offered Madara one out of habit, then remembered quickly who she was dealing with. "OK, I'm ready." She put the scroll away, resealing the items inside, and got to work. She began to pull the burn away from his chest, starting with the edges of the wound. The infection had returned and was spreading into healthier tissues. She would have to sanitize the burn, drain the fluids and chakra that had gathered beneath it in his chest cavity, clear away the burned tissues, regenerate healthier ones, and bind the wound. He would need to drink fluids soon, or else his body might go into shock. It was a miracle it hadn't already. Though she wondered if Uchihas were naturally resistant to burn injuries, given their penchant for playing with fire.

She could sense his own chakra lapping against the wound, on its own resisting the damage.

 _Such huge reserves... Was he born with these?_ She hadn't realized she had spoken her thoughts aloud, until he responded with characteristic arrogance.

"Hmm, I suppose you're jealous?"

 _A massive ego too, apparently._ She was careful not to say _that_ thought out loud. But she couldn't quite stop herself from saying something anyway. "Unlike you, I wasn't born with high chakra reserves; I was born with a _brain_. I make do with what I've got!"

"…Your powers would be effective in the right circumstances." Her ears pricked up; was he complimenting her? "Against a far weaker opponent, yours is most definitely an armor-sleeved single hit. Of course, you should have known it wouldn't work against me." _Nope, he wasn't._

"Only because you have more lives than the Shinigami!"

"That metaphor does not work, since the Shinigami isn't technically alive."

 _Does he have to be such an insufferable smart-ass?!_ "I meant the lives it reaps!" she snapped.

"I _have_ kept the Death God rather busy..." he mused.

"That's not something to brag about, Madara. Especially when you're trying to be the savior of the world."

He was watching her again. When he narrowed his eyes, his prominent eye-bags made him look even more sinister. How much longer could she take this?

"Look, I don't know what your plan is, but isn't going to work!" she finally burst out. "If you try to recapture the tailed beasts or- or restart the Moon's Eye Plan, you're risking that Kaguya will come out of hiding. She'll hijack your body again!"

Kaguya had been sealed. She didn't know if he had seen that from inside of her or not. Naruto had thrown Zetsu into the Chibaku Tensei with Kaguya... But somehow, that did not reassure her. The Rabbit Goddess could jump dimensions, for goodness' sakes! And even if she couldn't return, what was to stop Madara from abusing the world the way Kaguya did before him?

"You didn't see what she can do! Do you know what she did after she took over your body?"

"...It is of no consequence to me whether I become the savior of this world again or not. Project Tsuki No Me is complete. The world is still in blissful peace even as we speak. You and I could go anywhere on this Earth, and there would be no war, no conflict, no pain nor loss!"

"So you're OK with sentencing everyone on Earth to death?!"

"... _What?"_

"Didn't you know...? No. You couldn't have. You had already become one with Kaguya by then, hadn't you? Black Zetsu told us the true purpose of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Did you know that it was a way for Kaguya to reclaim her chakra? The people trapped inside the Divine Tree will be drained of their chakras and their dreams and personalities and eventually become the bodies of the White Zetsus, an army ruled by the Rabbit Goddess. But that's only if Kaguya is around to harvest them. Without her, stuck alone in the Divine Tree, they won't live forever, or even for long! The tree will eventually drain their chakra, until they're dead! Did you know that when you made your plan, Madara?"

Her harshness would have made him flinch, if he had been anyone else. Instead he looked at her, coldly, with his one eye.

...But if Sakura wasn't mistaken, if she looked back at him deeply enough, she could see that he was confused. For a moment, she glimpsed the same expression on his face that he'd had when Black Zetsu stabbed him in the back.

"Perhaps it is better..." he murmured. "A pleasant sleep followed by death... Isn't it better than dying on the battlefield, generation after generation, merely increasing the hatred and despair in the world?"

She would have been angry at him then, but she had caught the sincerity in his words. And then she realized with a new kind of horror... _he had meant everything he said._ He really, truly did believe that he had saved the world! To him, the world really was a dark, evil place without hope...

Her mouth fell open at that. She couldn't think of anything else to say right then.

She had been healing him steadily the whole time. She still had enough chakra to go, thanks to the soldier pill. But mentally, emotionally, the war was finally taking its toll. Despite the relative peace of the moment, the war wasn't really over. Not with her friends still stuck inside the Infinite Dream...

Sakura's head lolled forward. She caught herself and raised her hands again, steadying them, but Madara gave her a stern look.

"What is it, medic?"

"It's nothing." She sat up straighter.

"You're growing sloppy. You're not using your chakra as efficiently as you were before."

He was right. And even as he said it, she felt another wave of exhaustion hit her. "I'm sorry," she heard herself say. "I'm just so tired."

"You have enough chakra."

"But I haven't rested in almost three days. You were dead for who-knows-how-long, so you might lack perspective." She had spoken without any bite in her voice, just weary observation. And that was probably why he didn't admonish her.

"Take a break, then. You need to remain at your most efficient."

Sakura nodded gratefully. "I can do more later. The worst of your infections have healed, but I'll need to do some deep tissue work around that chest wound. If it's alright with you, I'll take a rest so I can replenish my chakra more naturally. Soldier pills can only work so long before they take a toll, you know." Plus, she remembered, she had almost completely depleted her seal. It was going to take time to restore the chakra there as well.

"Hmm. Go forage."

"…What?"

"I am allowing you to replenish your chakra stores. Eat whatever you can find in the forest. But don't try to escape. I will know, and you will not live long enough to regret it."

"Y-yes. Thank you!" She started to leave, then turned back, the medic in her taking over. "Madara... You might want to drink fluids soon. Your body is still recovering, and if you don't, it might go into shock." Then she hurried off before she could think better of telling him that.

* * *

She thought better of it approximately three minutes later, when she discovered how much it _utterly sucked_ trying to move around with the black receivers embedded in her. As suspected, she couldn't climb any trees. With every step, there was pain. She hadn't felt weak like this in a long time.

"Should have just let him go into shock..." she muttered. "See how he likes it..."

She half-expected to feel a jolt of some kind, perhaps a reprimand for her cheek. But nothing. She continued into the woods, lost in thought.

Summonings were out of the question, so there was no way she could contact Team 7 that way. Even if there were any civilizations nearby, all the residents would be asleep within the dream world. Naruto, Sasuke, even Kakashi-sensei... who knew what they were doing right now. She didn't want to entertain the possibility that they were looking for her for two reasons. For one, she didn't want to give herself false hope. For two, she didn't want to feel like she constantly needed rescuing.

If anything, by stalling Madara, perhaps this time she was rescuing _them._

She stumbled a little over the rocks. Gritted her teeth.

Before long, she came to a thick stand of pine trees. Cones littered the ground beneath them. She immediately sat down and tore into the cones, digging the nuts out of them. She gathered them in her shirt, holding it out like an apron, and before long it was full. As neatly as possible, she laid the pile of nuts out on top of her reserve scroll and sealed them away inside. She would break them open and eat them later.

Flowers bloomed scantily in the forest, but there were small clearings where they were more plentiful. She ate dandelion greens, fiddleheads, and other _sansai_. But her mind was ever on water.

She followed her feet and her sense of smell downhill. It wasn't far from the clearing where she had been treating Madara, but it was so well-hidden by trees that she almost didn't see the small stream. When she finally came to the cool, rushing water, she dropped to her knees and drank gratefully.

There were many round stones on the edges of the banks and in the stream itself. Sakura spotted a particularly green rock and picked it up, rubbing it with her thumb. It was soft with very fine grains. She wondered if it would make a good sharpening stone. She had dropped her kunai in the place where she had first woken up after Madara had captured her. If she could go back, find it, and sharpen it...

Though she felt every inch of dirt on her body, she didn't want to foul the first water source she could find. Instead of bathing, she drank deeply, sparing a moment to rinse only her hands and face. Maybe later, if she found a deeper stream, she could bathe. If she lived that long.

That thought jolted her back into reality. How was she going to leave a message for her team? This far out in the woods, was it even worth it? They wouldn't find her if Madara didn't want them to. And note or not, she could still be dead long before they ever-

No. It was worth it to try. The only shame would be in doing nothing.

As she stared into the river, wondering what to do, she found herself contemplating the rocks. Some were big enough if she were to try to leave a message on one...

It would be easier if she had her kunai.

* * *

She wound her way back to the clearing where she had been treating Madara, but he was nowhere in sight. Perhaps he had taken her advice about finding hydration. With her "patient" gone, Sakura slumped to the ground, no longer feeling the need to keep up appearances. She knew she should look for her kunai, eat the pine nuts, and several other things. But she needed rest most of all.

Madara wasn't around, and for a moment, she couldn't find it in her to care where he was. She hoped fervently he wasn't off pursuing Team 7; something told her he wasn't. She knew he would be back eventually for her to continue healing him, and who knew what he would plan to do after that...

Before she could make heads or tails of her thoughts, she fell asleep, mouth open, face pointing towards the sky.

* * *

 _Tchk! Tchk!_

Sakura awoke suddenly. Being a ninja meant that she never allowed herself to sleep for too long. But she had to admit, she had slept much more _deeply_ than she had meant to.

An enemy could approach her if she slept too deeply. Someone like...

 _Tchk!_

...Madara!

He was sitting right next to her, and the strange noise was coming from him.

 _Tchk! Tchk!_

He was whittling a log into what looked like a large bowl of sorts. Or perhaps a huge cup. Either way, he was sitting directly next to her, leaning back against a stump, in no apparent hurry to wake her.

Her skin crawled. Right now, he had no reason to kill her, but she hated knowing she had been vulnerable around him. Just like the two or three times she had already been unconscious in his presence today. She was slipping! Not good! If he'd been here for a while — and judging by how much whittling he'd done, he must have been — then why hadn't he woken her up?

 _Maybe he just really likes watching me sleep,_ she thought bitterly to herself.

She sat up abruptly and apologized before he could comment on anything. "Would you like me to wait for you to finish your work," she indicated his wood project, "or shall we continue with healing now?"

Madara easily set down what he was doing and faced her, taking off his shirt and armor once again. He must have put it back on while she had been foraging.

By now it was well past noon and the clearing they were in had grown very warm indeed. Madara's skin was almost hot to the touch.

"Were you able to find some water?" she asked. She wasn't sure she would volunteer where to look if he hadn't, but she did want to know.

"Yes. I am replenished."

"Good." She began to concentrate on removing the burned tissues from his chest, while gradually draining out the excess fluids and chakra pockets around the wound. This was the messiest part of the work. She wondered if Madara would react to the pain, considering she didn't have any anesthesia with her beyond what minimum her chakra could provide for such an invasive procedure. But he didn't. He kept his gaze on her the entire time while she healed him. _Is he watching my chakra levels to make sure I don't have any killing intent? Or is he actually trying to see how this medical ninjutsu works? Or...?_ She wanted to ask him, but she figured she had been talkative enough for one day.

It was late in the afternoon when Sakura lowered her hands for the first time. Sweat blotted her forehead, but she still felt well enough to work. She had stabilized the wound, though it had taken much longer with her lessened chakra control. She was about to start on round two — replacing the burned tissues with healthy ones — but Madara held up a hand. She waited to hear what he had to say.

"I can feel that my chest wound is improving already. You can work on that more in a moment. For now, check on my eyes as well. But be brief about it..."

Sakura raised her eyebrows but didn't question him. She lifted her hands to his eye sockets, only one of which still had the light.

"Hmm, it seems like your left eye has a little retinal damage. Minute scratches... and acid damage-"

She stopped. Shivered. Of course. This eye was the one she had-!

Madara noticed her shivering and smiled maliciously. "Don't even think of trying to swallow this eye again. I won't let you."

She flinched as he raised her shirt slightly, suddenly too frozen with terror to stop him. He was looking at the spot where he had pierced her stomach with his arm, just over a day ago. Was he going to harm her again? Her heart thundered. "You healed the damage admirably. Not even a mark." Then, his fingers traced something. "What's this?"

Sakura jumped a little at the feeling of his fingers on her bare stomach. She quickly shoved her shirt back down, his touch bringing her out of her trance. "It's a sword wound."

"Why did you not heal it fully?"

"I did. But there was poison on the blade. That leaves a mark."

"Does it really?"

"...Well, to be honest," she scratched behind her head again, "I also sorta wanted to keep that one. I'm proud of it. It's the first time I ever fought an Akatsuki, and I won that fight."

"You won even after you were stabbed through with a poisoned sword?" He tilted his head back, his tone light. "That sounds like quite the story."

"Maybe I'll tell you sometime," she said absently, before remembering just who she was speaking to. As if he wanted to hear her pitiful stories. He'd probably only said it out of sarcasm! Sakura shook her head, angry at herself. Why was she letting her guard down around him so easily!? He was messing with her mind again! It was clear from the way he had fought the Shinobi Alliance that this was an actual tool in his arsenal.

And from what she had gathered, he had been able to manipulate Obito into becoming his tool...

His Rinnegan eye was crinkled in obvious amusement. She closed her eyes, hating the sight of it. This was not an ordinary individual. He was _dangerous!_ And she would do well to remember that!

His chakra was building again. She could feel it pressing into her—

Wait.

His chakra... There was something about it...

Sakura didn't take the time to kick herself for not noticing sooner. Instead, she bent her head forward, towards the chakra that frightened her, and took a long, slow inhale. The sulfur sense was still there, but there was something else underneath it. Something in Madara's sweat...

She felt Madara's will calling her, sending a jolt through the receivers that prickled like lightning. Her eyes flew open, and her words rushed out:

"There's something wrong with your chakra."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry, I tend to babble sometimes. Kinda like White Zetsu. *sheepish*

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER FIVE-

 **-/-**

"Something is...wrong with my chakra, you say?"

The birds were silent in the trees. They had been singing just a minute ago. The trees themselves had stopped rustling, and the air was still. It was as if even the environment around them was holding its breath, waiting in anticipation of his reaction.

Sakura nodded uneasily. "At first I thought it was just your usual chakra, but your hormones… There's a noticeable imbalance." Madara remembered the way she had sniffed him. At first he had thought she was making an insult; did this mean she could sense this hormonal imbalance through his _smell?_ "Some part of your body is in distress… Let me see."

 _Could this be a kekkei genkai?_ No, he would have sensed it. _Then was she simply more attuned to these matters by virtue of being an experienced medic? Interesting._

Her chakra probed further. She had never stopped, even while she explained. She was painfully aware of how close Madara was to her. His breath left a slight moisture on her cheeks.

"I'm examining your endocrine system first." She kept her hands steady. "Once I can figure out where the abnormal hormonal output is coming from, then it might give me clues as to what's going on..."

She ran her hands over his midsection, scanning his kidneys, pancreas, and adrenal glands. No damage there, though his adrenals seemed quite active. She decided not to check his gonads. As a last resort she could, but the idea of examining Uchiha Madara _there_ of all places...

Her hands skimmed his thymus and thyroid. Normal there too.

"...I'm going to need to examine your head."

His eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Your pituitary gland is there, as well as your hypothalamus. I need to see if there's abnormal activity going on up there. Plus it'll help to do a brain scan anyway, to see which areas light up the most. This is harder and more timely without a proper CT scan, but I can do it...!"

Madara just stared at her.

"I would ask you to lie down, but I don't think you will, so..."

He grabbed her wrist.

"And I am to let you use your chakra on my brain, just like that?! I don't think so!"

Sakura met his eyes firmly, including the dead one. "I know with the Rinnegan, you can monitor my chakra flow. You'll be able to tell if any killing intent is present in me, plus you're..." she swallowed, "...one of the most powerful ninjas in the world. You'll be able to sense what I'm trying to do before I can even do it! So just don't take your eye off of me. I will not hurt you; it's against my Hippocratic Oath as a medic."

"Then why didn't you simply surrender to me in the very beginning, like a good little medic?" he sneered.

Sakura rolled her eyes; obviously, he was unaffected by her praise. "The time when I am examining someone is different than when I am on the battlefield as an active combatant. The two roles are separate; I would never attack a patient on an operating table, or else there would be no one willing to seek out a medic's help. That's why that Oath exists! Now, is there anything else, or may I begin?"

Madara crossed his arms. His lips pursed. "...Very well."

"I will tell you as I examine you, so you'll know what I've found." She guided her chakra to his head. "I am currently examining your brain stem. I don't notice any abnormal activities. Have you been having any troubles with respiratory functions at all? Any heart abnormalities?"

Madara gave her a look that clearly implied she was an idiot.

"I'll take that as a no. But for future reference, in order for me to figure out better what's wrong, it would help if you answered my questions. You're not helping yourself by withholding."

The hum of her chakra was very slight within his head. It would have felt soothing, but Madara did not like the feeling of being invaded. This was why he hadn't sought out a medic before; he preferred to heal himself.

"I am now transitioning into the pituitary gland. It looks normal, no damage there..."

She closed her eyes briefly, concentrating. Madara's stare became even more intense. _What is she doing? She had better not think that she can conceal her intentions from me like this!_

Sakura's eyes flew open.

"It's your hypothalamus! It's swollen! And there's a chakra coil extending though here... It's frantic, _pulsing_..."

She sucked in a deep breath.

"Your entire limbic system is lighting up! But your hypothalamus most of all... If I'm not mistaken, you might be having trouble with several limbic system functions. How's your appetite? I'm guessing, by having Shodai-sama's implant, you were able to bypass hunger for quite a while, so you wouldn't have noticed abnormalities there right away... As well as things like trouble with sleep, mood regulation, frequent urination..."

Madara didn't directly answer her questions, but she could see a minute tightening in his jaw. It confirmed what she was telling him.

"So why don't you fix it then?"

"It's not that simple. We need to rebalance your hormone levels. I can only do so much, but the rest is something you're going to need to do. Did- did something happen to your head?"

"What?"

"The symptoms… The way your limbic system appears. It's as if you had a head trauma of some sort, but the same sort of symptoms aren't as apparent on your cortex." She worried her lip. What she was about to say made no sense. "It's as if you suffered some trauma that began _inside_ your head. Were you hit with a jutsu of some kind?"

"...Not that I am aware of."

"That's alright. I'll do my best to figure it out." She lowered her hands. "I've been able to reduce a little of the swelling, which should take away some of the pain. You've been having headaches, haven't you? It's hard to imagine you haven't been… I have suggestions for you." She took another deep breath. "Because of the delicate nature of the human brain, it's going to take me several sessions to treat you. And in the meantime, we're going to have to introduce certain things to your diet, in order to help your body regulate your hormone levels better." _Oh God... I just said that like I'm going to be stuck with him for a long time! I've gotta get away from him!_ "Are you willing to accept treatment, Madara?"

"...Yes, I will accept treatment. But if you even think of trying to-"

"I know." She waved him off. "No need to threaten me twice." _Or more._

She froze. Madara was regarding her with a careful, shrewd look. Her skin prickled. Too quickly, she remembered how keen he really was. When she waved him off like that, what was she thinking?! Being dismissive of him was really careless, and he had noticed that she had gotten too comfortable with him. And now, with that glint in his eye...

What was he thinking now? _Why was he looking at her that way?!_

"And what about you, eye-eater?" his voice was barely more than a whisper.

"W-what _about_ me?" she muttered back.

Almost casually, he reached up and fingered a lock of her hair. Sakura blanched. "You have rosy hair, but your facial structure is more delicate than an Uzumaki's… Good chakra control as befitting a medic... and yet no kekkei genkai to speak of." He ran his thumb slowly over her hair, separating the strands. "What clan do you hail from?"

Her heart thundered. His touch was light, but so deliberate, so _predatory._

"I'm not from a clan. M-my name is Haruno Sakura."

He dropped the lock of hair, instead reaching up to lightly brush the bangs off her large forehead. His gloved hand was warm against her skin, but she shivered. "Then how did you come to have this Yin seal?" He poked her there. "I've only seen members of the Uzumaki clan with it."

As she watched in horror, the ripples of Madara's Rinnegan faded, giving way to the sinister pinwheels of his Mangekyo Sharingan. Why-? Was he going to put her under a genjutsu?! She closed her eyes frantically.

Fingers closed around her neck.

 _Oh God!_ her brain babbled. _He's going to kill me after all! I was too impudent with him and now he's gonna strangle me or kill me with his Mangekyo Sharingan or- or- I don't wanna know how! I don't wanna dieee! And after I just healed him no less—Oh._ Madara was chuckling. Sakura opened her eyes.

He had withdrawn his hands from her and now looked like he was laughing at her expense. She almost bristled. Now it made sense: Madara had felt invaded when she had examined him, and he'd decided to freak her out so he could reassert dominance and feel superior and powerful again. That jerk! When she thought of it, it was incredibly petty of him, using his fearsome proximity and feather-light touches and- and his scary eye... OK, she would gladly concede he was more powerful, as long as he never did _that_ again!

"Well... Sakura, is it?" he still looked amused. "Tell me about that seal."

She swallowed, finding her voice. It was shameful how easily he had reduced her to a wreck. "I learned it from Lady Tsunade—"

"Yes, but how can you possibly wield it with so little chakra?" he demanded.

"Oh... I save it up over a long period." She still didn't dare to meet his gaze. "It took me three years to form the seal. I've gotten it to where I can augment chakra a little at a time to it while keeping a separate reserve for my normal strength. So, even now, I am storing bits of my chakra away inside the seal."

Madara sat back, nodding. "That kind of chakra control… is quite impressive."

"Thank you."

"But if you don't have those kinds of chakra reserves to begin with, then why bother to use it?" He might as well have asked, _'_ _If you're so weak, then why bother even trying to be strong?'_

"My master always wanted to live up to the First Hokage's legacy-" _Hadn't Madara always looked up to him as well?_ "-but she didn't inherit his massive reserves. So she created this seal as a way to build them up. She can't access it all the time like he could… It seems Shodai-sama's huge amounts of chakra and healing abilities might have been related to his Wood-release. Maybe he could draw on chakra from the natural environment without conscious thought, like with senjutsu except maybe he got a boost even when he wasn't using it... or maybe it was through photosynthesis because of his connection with plants. I've wondered that for a long time now..." She shook herself out of her musings. "Anyway, Tsunade-sama found her own way to carry on his legacy, along with her own considerable prowess... She even became Hokage like he did, to protect everyone! And I inherited her will too. My own seal is imperfect, but… But if it gives me even a slightly better chance of bringing my loved ones home safely, then it's worth it." Her head was ringing. _Naruto... Sasuke... Wait for me! Don't die when I'm not there to save you!_

He leaned forward slightly. "And how is it that the seal can extend over another person?"

"...I made that modification myself. It's a way of sharing my chakra and a little of my life-force with someone. I came up with it when I was studying a secret life-transfer technique I saw once..."

"Interesting… Mito never did that, to my knowledge."

 _Who is Mito?_ Sakura wondered.

"I had worked it out in theory, but I didn't know it was functional until earlier, when I used it on Obito."

"Obito...?" He ignored that for the moment. "So _today_ was your first time using it?"

Today... Had all this really happened today?! "Yes, and the Yin seal as well. Though I have to admit, I didn't expect to be using it on my enemies — and now I've used it _twice_ to aid enemies instead of friends..." She tried and somewhat failed to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Madara regarded her inscrutably. Nervously, she wrung her hands.

"Well, your brain isn't going to fix itself. We should probably get to work. Are you ready?" She cringed, hoping she didn't sound too demanding.

"Hn."

"OK. In order to balance your hormones better, we'll need to gather these plants…"

She listed several plants off the top of her head, and as Madara began to memorize them, he marveled at her ability to know the plants offhand. Were these plants she had already found in this very forest? If so, she was obviously a quick study, a trait he appreciated.

"...Can you remember all those?" She was saying. "If you harvest them and eat them regularly, they will help you with the—"

"You get them," he said abruptly. He saw her incredulity, though he was pleased to also see more than an inkling of fear in her large green eyes.

She stalled for a moment before nodding briskly. "OK, I will—"

"No, on second thought, I will get them. And you will accompany me. I wouldn't put it past you to poison me by sneaking in an inedible leaf of some kind. You will show me which plants to pick, and I will harvest them myself."

She gritted her teeth. _Controlling, much?_ "All right then. Shall we?"

Despite her fear, she had remained quite professional. He rose easily, slipping on his shirt, though he left his armor leaning against a tree. He latched the gunbai to his back. Sakura stood up, brushing the dirt from her pants.

"This way, please..."

* * *

"OK, the first plant we'll be looking for is _dokudami_. I saw it around here earlier, closer to the stream. Look for a low-growing herb with cordate leaves. If you pinch a leaf, it should smell a little like an orange."

They had just started foraging for the herbs Madara would need to balance his hormones. For the first time in her life, Sakura was letting someone else get a good look at her back. Though, she realized with painful irony, of course it had to be _Madara_. The one who could plunge a sword through it at any moment, if he so desired.

It made sense, of course. She had to lead him to the herbs. But she wondered. During the hours she had spent with him so far, he had never once given her his back. It struck her as a deliberate choice on his part. Caution, as befitting a shinobi, or something else?

Despite her earlier reservations, Sakura led Madara to the stream she had discovered. She had no idea if it was the same one he had visited, but he didn't comment one way or another.

"There it is! Let's grab about 15 leaves."

"Very well."

"We'll have to be quick; the sun is nearly setting."

"I am aware of that, kunoichi." His gravelly tone made her clamp her mouth shut.

As Madara harvested the leaves, Sakura saw purple out of the corner of her eye. There, heads bobbing in the wind, was a cluster of beautiful flowers. Their showy sepals were oddly shaped, fusing and drawing together up and over, almost like a butterfly, or like Ino's hairdo. Sakura smiled sadly at the thought of her best friend. She wished Ino were here. Ino would say that the purple flower looked like a hood, like the ones the monks wore.

 _I recognize that plant,_ Sakura realized. _It's torikabuto!_

A plant both useful as a medicine and deadly as a poison. It would certainly do nasty things if Madara were to eat it somehow.

 _I wonder if I could trick him into picking it, or maybe sneak over and get it myself, save it to use on him later... No, better not to risk it._ Madara's ominous words came back to mind. _It's true that he asked me to point out the plants to him, which could lead me to believe that he doesn't know them well... but he could be playing dumb, waiting for me to slip up. I'd do the same thing in his position. No... if I try to harvest it now, the jig will be up. Besides, there's no fooling Madara..._

He was too smart. She didn't imagine anyone had ever fooled him before... except for Zetsu. _That's right! How did he do it?_ Zetsu had lulled Madara into a false sense of security... Madara didn't see Zetsu as an equal, so it wasn't trust exactly... It was that Madara had gotten too _comfortable_ with Zetsu. He had taken his loyalty for granted.

If she wanted to survive and have a chance at getting away from him, she had to do the same.

 _OK, so... Absolute obedience for now, especially while he has his eye on me. I won't go against him or give him any reason to be suspicious. But I'll be waiting for an opening. Even if it takes a little while._

She mentally marked where she saw the monkshood; she'd come back later, when he wasn't with her. If she could gather that herb and some others, it was possible she could concoct a rough poison. But she had to make an antidote too. It wouldn't do any good if she was poisoned and he wasn't, or if something unexpected happened. After all, that was how it had gone down in the Land of Iron. She shuddered. Good thing she was carrying the antidote with her, or else Naruto would have-

No. Better not to think about it.

"There. That one's _irakusa_. It has lots of nutrients in it, including chromium, which is good for hypothalamic function."

They harvested the nettle before moving on. Sakura found she didn't mind the stinging terribly, though she was curious to see if Madara would show any discomfort. He didn't.

"I think there's _gobo_ further down the stream, and then _yomogi_ up by the sun-dappled clearing... Wait! How's your chest wound? I think I see something that can help. Have you ever used resin from the _baramomi_ , Madara? It'll help bind and disinfect the wound... Come here."

They stopped in the shade of a massive tree. The branches, covered with spindly needlelike leaves, were much too high to reach. That was fine; what Sakura wanted lay beneath the bark.

"Um..." she realized then that she needed a tool. "Could I borrow your kunai, please?"

With no hesitation, Madara flicked his wrist, and she caught the blade. She had to hold it carefully; gripping it too tightly would aggravate the spot where the chakra receivers still impaled her hands. A few strokes later, she had managed to made a deep enough cut. Sap flowed from the tree.

Sakura gathered the sap in her hand. "Please lift up your shirt."

"No. Use it on yourself first."

Sakura gaped at him for a moment. "O-OK!"

She had yet to heal the acid burn on her arm. She rubbed the resin into her wound and nearly hissed at how much better it felt already. When her wound was thoroughly covered, she gathered more sap into her hand and waited.

Madara raised an eyebrow at her before complying. She smeared the resin all over his chest wound.

"It'll drop away on its own. I'll continue to heal you there in the meantime."

 _He's too quiet,_ Sakura thought as she and Madara continued to trudge through the forest. The silence should have been comforting, but instead it set Sakura on edge. Who knew what Madara could be thinking? She hoped he wanted her to stick around a little while longer - as long as she was useful, she reasoned with herself - but he was so unpredictable.

Though not as unpredictable as Naruto, she thought with a small smile. Although she considered Naruto more of a known unpredictability.

 _What would Naruto do if he were here now?_ she wondered.

If she had to guess, he'd probably try to blast Madara away with one of his ninjutsu, maybe a Rasenshuriken or something. Failing that, he'd probably just talk him to death.

 _Come to think of it...!_ she realized. _Naruto's gotten a surprising amount done just by talking to his enemies. He convinced Zabuza to avenge Haku just by calling on his humanity. Somehow he convinced Lady Tsunade to return to Hidden Leaf..._ He'd talked Nagato into reviving all the dead villagers after his attack. He'd even convinced Obito to switch sides; Obito had eventually saved Naruto's life twice over, the final time sacrificing his own life in place of Naruto's. _Gee, maybe they should invent a new technique... The Naruto no Jutsu... No... Talk no Jutsu! Friendship no Jutsu?_

A slow smile. _It's worth a shot._

"So, Madara... Did you really think you were-"

"Do you always talk so much?"

"W-what?!" she floundered.

He gazed over at her, giving her a look of utter disdain, but refused to elaborate. As he turned away, she heard him mutter, "I should have kidnapped a quieter ninja."

Sakura's mouth hung open. As they headed to the clearing where the mugwort grew, she sniffed. "...So what if I talk a lot? It's not like anyone else is still awake to heal you... Except maybe Naruto... Since he got those random new powers from the Sage of Six Paths... Hmph, way to make my three years of hard work look like nothing!"

"I'm beginning to wonder..." Madara interrupted her sulking, "That brat Naruto talks too much, but does he honestly talk more than you?"

 _"Good grief!"_ Sakura exclaimed. "If you'd captured Naruto instead of me, you'd probably be best friends by now! Either that, or he'd have defeated you already… probably by using some form of perverted ninjutsu…"

"…Hmm?"

Sakura snickered.

* * *

"Eat it."

"What?"

They had been standing over the concoction for five minutes.

Upon returning to "their" clearing, Madara had ordered Sakura to make the leaves and roots into the desired medicine, while he (as usual) watched with folded arms and a scowl on his face. He had been "kind" enough to supply her with the wooden bowl he had whittled, and she had used a stone to mash the herbs together. Not that doing so with chakra receivers embedded in her hands had been easy. She was sure that there was a little of her blood in the mix. After she had made it, Madara had walked them down to her stream so they could add some water. And finally, when she'd presented it to him—

"I want to know it isn't poison. So you eat it first."

"Umm—"

"Just do it! Do it, or I really will make you eat it…"

"OK." _Man, he's annoying._ She took a gulp and almost made a face. Medicine wasn't exactly supposed to be tasty, just functional. After swallowing it down, she offered him the bowl, but his arms remained folded.

"If you aren't dead in a half-hour, I shall eat it too." _OK… annoying AND smart. To be fair, I had been intending to put the torikabuto in at first._

Sakura set the bowl down carefully on a flat rock. She knelt beside it and folded her hands neatly in her lap. Madara sat on a stump across from her. They stared at each other.

Crickets chirped all around them. The cold breeze ruffled through their hair. Night was falling.

"...Dammit, we didn't catch dinner, did we?"

* * *

"So... Like I was saying earlier, did you really think you were saving the world?"

"I thought I answered that already."

The small fire blazing between them offered just enough warmth. Madara had been nice enough to build it, though with his fire jutsu, it was practically nothing for him. Sakura tried to control her shivering, instead sitting closer to the heat.

On the flat rock to her right lay a pile of pine-nut shells. She'd summoned them, intent on cracking them open and eating a meager dinner. Madara'd had other ideas. No sooner had she begun breaking them open, using a small rock, he had come over, proud-as-you-please, and swiped the first nuts. Sakura had barely reigned in her temper; instead her hand had flown to her neck and she'd remembered the way he'd rested his fingers there. But really, the nerve?! Would it have killed him to at least crack them instead of her?! She saw that she had bled a little on the pine nuts. Would that deter Madara from eating her dinner?

He had seemed to enjoy the blood-stained ones even more than the others.

"But... That's to say- Why'd you choose such a violent way of making it come true? ...I mean, even if you don't factor in the paradox of waging a _war_ for _peace_..." Sakura gesticulated with the rock, warming up to her point. "The more people you kill, the fewer people who can be part of the Infinite Tsukuyomi. And what's the point of the Infinite Tsukuyomi if there's no one around to enjoy it? None of the people you've killed got to experience the dream world!" Realizing she was still holding the rock, she dropped it next to the pile of shells before slumping closer to the fire, exhaling deeply.

Madara sighed deeply. "But they _do_ exist within the dream world. The dreamer makes them exist! Anyone you choose can exist within the dream world. You heard Obito explain this already… Right now, your friends are asleep and happy with all of their loved ones…"

"You say that, but their loved ones aren't actually there." Her tone filled with sadness. "The dead aren't making their own dreams in there with the living. Their own dreams are dead with them... So all that's really in that dream world are their memories or the fantasies their loved ones have about them. But if they aren't actually there experiencing that peace, then what's the whole point of it?"

"That _is_ the whole point of it! War makes orphans of us all!" Madara's eyes blazed into her. "The point is, each of you has _already_ lost someone, and more often than not, you have lost someone deeply precious to you." He shook his head. "That has already happened, whether of my doing or not. Many of you suffered from this loss long before I was resurrected. Is that not true? And you _still_ question why a dream world would seem like paradise for some. You see, only in that world can humanity be reunited with those they have lost..."

"OK, suppose that's what people want... Did you have to kill them, turn the battlefield into a slaughter, to make that happen? Make them suffer hell to reach heaven?" Sakura was pleading now, her heart clenching around names. _Neji, Inoichi, Shikaku, Ao, thousands of Alliance ninja, even Obito... And Jiraiya and Asuma and all the jinchuuriki who died at the hands of the Akatsuki as they sought to make Obito and Madara's dream a reality..._

"Extreme ends can justify extreme means."

Sakura glared openly at him for dismissing their lives so easily.

"I suppose you wouldn't understand." Madara looked haughtily at her through the flames. "What power has the mind of an ant to comprehend that of a god?"

"If you're a god, you're a fallen one," Sakura spat.

Madara smiled. It was not a pleasant one.

"But a fallen god is still a god, is he not?"

Sakura's eyes burned. Instead of crying — no matter how much she wanted to, she wouldn't cry in front of _him_ — she met his gaze and held it.

"You asked me before why I save my chakra, and my strength, when I have so little of it. You want to know what I'm fighting for, right?"

Blood rushed through her ears.

"For _them_. For Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei, Tsunade-shishou, and all the other friends and family I have, and all those who you killed. I fight for all of them. I would do anything for them."

"Would you, now?"

 _"Anything."_ She would even endure him, if it meant she could help them in some small way... If he let her endure.

"Well, then..."

Never breaking her gaze, Madara picked up the bowl of concoction. He downed it in a single swallow. Satisfied, he placed the bowl down just out of reach of the fire.

"...Stay alive a little longer for them."

She didn't know whether he meant it to be a challenge or an invitation, but she replied nevertheless.

"I will!"

With that, she stood up and turned away from him and the fire both. She was shaking and felt slightly sick, but the heat flowed through her veins and warmed her. Before long, she had gathered dried leaves from a nearby tree and was stuffing them into her clothes for insulation, keeping the warmth of the fire a little longer in her bones. Then she strode off to rest somewhere else.

Madara stayed a long time by the fire, watching it flicker with a single red eye. At length, he sighed and rose to find the kunoichi. He hoped she hadn't been foolish enough to try to run away.

He followed her chakra signature easily enough. She was asleep in the hollow of a tree, a blanket of leaves over and under her, holding herself tightly. It was foolish on her part to stray away from the fire, considering that even the measly leaves wouldn't keep her warm for the entire night. But he understood that for her, it wasn't exactly... _preferable_ to remain in his presence for too long. If he didn't know any better, he'd say he intimidated her. A smirk, widening in the flickering of the fire. He re-stoked it. After being dead for so long, he found he wasn't craving sleep just yet. Instead he was content to ponder this world... and her. His new medic "friend". _Haruno_ _Sakura_.

She wore her feelings on her sleeve, and that made her easy to control. He recalled the look on her face when he had played with her hair. His lips twitched; it was almost as fun as that one time with Obito and the scythe.

Brats were much too easy to mess with.

But that information about the abnormal chakra and hormone levels in his brain... That was worth looking into. It didn't seem that it would cause long-term severe problems, but she was certainly taking it very seriously. His eyes narrowed. She had better not be trying to trick him. Oh well. As soon as it was prudent, he might find a town with some reading materials and look into his condition himself. And of course, enjoy the new world he had created. For now, though, he would regain his bearings and wait until his chest wound was fully healed. The medic would still have her uses yet.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl for reminding me to do this:

Plants in this chapter

* **dokudami = "poison-blocking plant" = Chameleon plant/Fishmint** _(Houttuynia cordata)_. Naruto was sent to look for this plant during the Utakata filler arc (one of the few fillers I've seen). It's thought to contain antioxidants and helps boost the immune system, as well as detoxify the body. From what I've read, it often smells like fish when its leaves are pinched, but the one from Japan smells more like an orange.

* **torikabuto = "bird's helmet" = monkshood/aconite/wolfsbane** _(Aconitum sp.)_. Fellow Harry Potter fans might have heard Snape talking about this one. It's quite poisonous, and it's generally a BAD idea to eat any part of it. Because I'm paranoid, I wouldn't recommend touching it either. It's been used in different cultures for hunting with poisoned arrows. It's also used in traditional Chinese medicine.

* **irakusa = "irritate-grass" = (stinging) nettle** _(Urtica dioica)_. Despite the stinging, this plant is quite nutritious, filled with iron, Vitamins A and C, calcium, and many others. If you boil it, it removes the sting from it, and you can eat it like spinach. It tastes especially good with some lemon squeezed on it.

* **gobō = burdock** _(Arctium lappa)_. The roots of this plant are used in many medicines. Among many other health benefits, it purifies the blood. I've read that it tastes like artichokes.

* **yomogi = Japanese mugwort** _(Artemisia princeps)_. Careful with this plant! If you drink a tea made from its leaves, you might have some crazy-vivid dreams! I did a couple of times, and I was more tired waking up than I was when I fell asleep. Among a lot of uses, it's used in some places to treat eye troubles.

* **baramomi = spruce** _(Picea_ _polita)_. Spruces have a surprising medicinal use: their resin can be used to make pitch and stop the itching of insect bites, to prevent infections from getting into scrapes, to help a sprained ankle heal, and many other things. I hear you should usually mix it with an oil to make a proper salve, but I've also heard that the resin itself can do in a pinch. Picea, the genus name, means "pitch", highlighting the usefulness of the resin.

Also, a note about the **hypothalamus** : to my understanding, it's sort of a bridge in the brain that connects the limbic system and the endocrine system. It controls the release of certain hormones in the pituitary gland, and it also plays a big role in functions like circadian rhythm, body temperature, hunger, and fear and aggression processing. You'll see why I chose that particular part of the brain in the next chapter. :)


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I wanted to say thank you to each of you - DiizGiirlJess, In the Darkest of Nights, shellly.c, OptimusPrimegirl213, Sunny ver 2.0, Kumikocr, Yami no Emi, elleyvn, Hana-Taisho, Zombie Reine, Karma's Slave, zulfi, Hana, Noble Cadence, Rhearenee, emmanon, catxangel, Bella-swan11, LightFiction, Teyona, AFangirlLife, Rebeca13, sometimeschill, JigokuShoujosRevenge, Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl, Lily, shadow miko, and all the Guests and Anons and anyone else I've missed, who took the time to review. I will try to be better about responding to reviews from now on. Thank you to everyone who followed and/or favorited, you guys rock!

Also, thank you to Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl for reminding me about the plants last chapter. There's now a note at the bottom of Chapter 5 with translations and a little more information about them. Also also - if you guys have been looking forward to the MadaSaku, next chapter is when things start to get fun! ;)

Have a great Spring Break, everyone! ~S.S.

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER SIX-

 **-/-**

The sun rose red the next morning, staining the mackerel skies with ruby light. Sakura would have found it pretty, but instead it filled her with an ominous feeling. It looked too much like fresh blood.

Her body was stiff and cold. When she looked down at herself, she gasped in alarm.

Around the chakra receivers, her skin was raw and reddish. Infection was setting in.

She immediately set to work trying to heal. The pain tore at her skin and deeper, into muscle tissues. Was this the reason why she never saw chakra receivers embedded into living hosts, only Edo Tensei zombies? Madara must have great faith in her healing prowess to make her endure this.

Speaking of Madara...

Sakura could see him a little ways off, standing in the center of the clearing. He was staring solemnly at the sky. She followed his gaze.

At first, she noticed nothing special, aside from the sunrise. But then, little by little, it dawned on her. This feeling in the air was different. Something had changed during the night. _The nine miniature moons were gone!_

The Infinite Tsukuyomi had been released.

Sakura nearly wept for joy. Her friends and family were safe! Naruto and Sasuke must have done it!

But in the next second, she caught her breath. Madara had lowered his head, and she had glimpsed a frown on his face. Bile rose in her throat. What did this mean for him? What would happen to her now? Since the world was awake, he could have his choice of any medic he wanted. He didn't need her anymore. Plus he was sure to be in a foul mood because his plan failed...

Would he dispose of her?

Just then, Madara turned and walked right towards her.

Sakura bunched her hands in the soil to stop her trembling. If she hadn't already been sitting, she might have collapsed. With effort, she lifted her head; a shinobi must never show fear. Madara came to a stop in front of her tree hollow. His one eye looked piercingly down at her.

 _This is it. I'm going to die now. Like an ant crushed by the heel of a god._

She waited.

...But Madara didn't make a move. Instead he continued to stare at her silently, broodingly. Sakura didn't dare breathe or look away.

At last, he spoke, voice low and hoarse: "Gather your things. We'll be leaving shortly."

When he stalked off, Sakura slumped forward, her adrenaline fleeing her. She wasn't out of the woods yet, figuratively or literally, but it seemed she was alive for a little longer. She didn't want to push her luck though.

Scrambling to her feet, she brushed leaves out of her clothes and hurried after the moody shinobi.

* * *

Silence reigned. Madara seemed to be taking them deeper into the woods. He allowed them to stop briefly at the small stream; he harvested more herbs while Sakura drank and washed her wounds as best she could. Then they were moving on, away from sunlight and clearings, into stands of trees and shadows.

She hoped Madara hadn't noticed that the monkshood was now short one purple flower.

Squirrels fought in the trees overhead. She heard the screech of a hawk, no doubt trying to take advantage of their distraction to snag one. Madara walked behind her, telling her which way to go in short commands. She could feel his gaze burning holes into the back of her head, just like the hawk watching the squirrels. His chakra simmered ominously. She could feel it through the receivers embedded in her. Should she say anything? No — it was better to stay quiet and do whatever he wanted. If she spoke, she might irritate him into killing her now.

He had allowed her to keep the kunai yesterday. Sakura wasn't about to let a chance go to waste. She wouldn't dare try to kill him with it; that would end _horribly_. But maybe, if they stopped for any reason, she could discreetly mark some trees. She had marked the inside of her hollow tree before she went to sleep the night before, and she'd left a scrap of her already-torn shirt lightly buried beneath the leaves. Hopefully, if anyone came looking for her, they would be able to identify her smell. They would know she was still alive.

As the hours passed and her steps grew clumsier, her thoughts became downright paranoid. _What was he planning? Was he going to try to make the Moon's Eye Plan happen again? Or... was it more likely that he was furious right now, and he'd want revenge against Naruto and Sasuke for stopping it?_ She couldn't tell. Aside from his terrifying chakra, which quite frankly was _always_ that way, he gave no indicator as to what was on his mind.

And so the hours passed.

* * *

"Stop here."

Sakura obeyed and leaned slightly over her knees, catching her breath. She could hear the gentle rushing of a nearby stream.

She shrieked when Madara suddenly grabbed her wrist. He dragged her over to the stream, and Sakura's eyes widened. _Is he going to drown me?!_ She tensed up and promptly stumbled, but Madara's grip was too strong. He didn't slow down a bit. _Please, no!_

Abruptly, Madara sat down by the edge of the water, pulling her down so she was in front of him. He released her hand.

"Now then," he said calmly. "Time for you to heal me."

She stood dumfounded.

Madara narrowed his eyes. " _Now_ would be good."

She felt a jolt from his will manifestations and moved quickly to comply.

She started with his chest wound. She no longer needed him to remove his shirt; now that she knew the wound, she could feel it without seeing it. "I've repaired the original site and the fluid-filled cavities beneath. There are no more burnt tissues. We'll focus on regenerating healthy ones now." _That sap really kept the bacteria from infecting his wounds._ "You're almost completely healed. One more session tomorrow, and you'll be good to go."

She hoped he didn't realize that she was deliberately dragging out his healing, and she had no intention of being here tomorrow. Somehow, she had to escape tonight, while he was asleep. She knew she was close to outliving her usefulness.

"And the implant...?" he asked the question she had been dreading. "Will it regenerate?"

She gulped and raised her head to look directly into his eye. "I don't think so. Shodai-sama's cells were completely reduced to charcoal. I mean, don't say never, I don't know the full extent of Shodai's powers, but..." She bit her lip. "It's unlikely."

He could tell she wasn't lying. "Hmm," he hummed, only mildly disappointed. "Well, no matter."

"You still have bits of his chakra near your eyes and other parts of your body!" she rushed to say. "Just not..." She gestured lamely at his chest.

"Hn." He regarded her for a long moment. She flinched under his scrutiny. "Well... what was it you said yesterday? 'My brain isn't going to fix itself.'" He tilted his chin. "Get on with it, then."

"Y-yes!"

She closed her eyes to concentrate as her hands swept over his head. He didn't mind this time.

"There's a tiny amount of re-swelling in your hypothalamus, but for the most part, it's stayed down. Your limbic system seems calmer too." The point between her eyes pinched. "Do you feel any differently?"

"I feel no worse."

"That's good." One hand hovered over the center of his head, while the other started to slide forward. "While I reduce the swelling again, I'm checking that abnormal chakra in your brain. It's not as frantic, but it's still strong." Neuron by neuron she traced it, until it headed to two thick crisscrossing cords. _The optic tracts and nerves,_ she realized. With growing trepidation, she traced the nerves, the chakra steadily growing stronger and stronger until-

It swirled around and within the orbs of his eyes, as if possessing them.

Sakura's own eyes flew open. She stumbled backward, nearly falling into the river. Madara was on his feet in an instant. His eyebags were even eviler-looking as he glowered down at her.

"What is it?!"

 _The Curse of Hatred._ One of the terms she had read in the scrolls on the Sharingan, though the rest of the information had been sealed away. There was precious little information and even less context for the legendary clan's doujutsu. She remembered noting that the author of that scroll had been the Second Hokage; _most_ of the things he had written about or invented had been sealed away. 'The Curse of Hatred' had never been explicitly defined, only mentioned in passing a few times. But Sakura felt, deep in the pit of her gut, that what she was seeing now was a physical manifestation of that very thing.

It made sense. An overactive limbic system, coupled with those eyes, both connected by that thick powerful chakra coil. It was no wonder Sasuke-kun was halfway out of his mind. _His powers were driving him insane._

Madara had called those powers "blessed eyes". But Sakura could see that it was much more akin to mental illness.

A harsh squeeze brought her attention back. Madara had grabbed her by the shoulders. "Well, kunoichi?!" he spat.

Sakura panted, feeling light-headed. "I don't know what happened to you, but I'm going to fix it."

Madara's face froze.

Sakura frowned. _Where did those words come from?_ It didn't matter, she realized, because she meant them. She lifted her chin. "I'm going to fix the _both_ of you!"

Madara was back to scowling.

"I don't know what happened that caused you so much pain. I don't care! I'll help you with all my strength. I won't let you slip away from me so easily...!"

Madara's image blurred in front of her. She was no longer totally sure of whom she was addressing. Him, or...

"Sasuke," she whispered.

"Hm?" Madara's eyebrows raised. "What about Sasuke?"

"Sasuke, he-" She waved her hands frantically. "He's a lot like you, you know. He's been suffering. And now I know why! He must have that same chakra in his brain that you do, Madara!"

Madara took a step back. His mind was calculating. "So... if you save me, then perhaps someday you'll save him."

"Yes!" Sakura gasped emphatically.

A truly evil smirk crossed Madara's face. "And what makes you think I'll let you save him?"

Sakura gaped up at him desperately. "Like you, he's the last of your clan!"

"And how did that come to be?" During the war, he had sensed that his own, Obito's, and Sasuke's were the only Uchiha chakra signatures around and had thought as much. Now he had heard it confirmed. He just needed the details.

Sakura looked nervous. "Are you sure we should talk about this right now-?"

"Over dinner, then," he waved his hand dismissively. "For the moment, keep healing me." He sat down again, and Sakura leaned over him. As she healed his brain, she was surprised to notice something she had initially missed.

Madara's hair was clean.

From up close she could see that the wild spikes of his hair were no longer matted with the blood of her comrades. It occurred to her unsettlingly that this was probably the main reason _why_ his hair was usually spiked so violently. Now his hair hung in dark waves and his alabaster skin practically glowed, making him look almost pristine. He must have bathed this morning before she woke...

Unconsciously, she brushed her fingertips against his long hair.

Her breath hitched, as Madara looked up at her. He looked as startled as she felt. She felt unclean suddenly, unworthy. What right did she have to touch him? Filth still clung to her, while he exuded near-divinity...

 _No. He was still the devil._ Despite the thought, she wished desperately for a bath. Anything to wash away her self-consciousness.

Shivering, she stepped back, folded her hands neatly in front of her, and bowed her head, the universal sign of subservience. She heard the creak of Madara's armor as he rose to his feet, and she chanced a glance up. Instead of glowering at her, he looked unperturbed, casually brushing himself off and sweeping one hand through his hair. Almost immediately his bangs settled over his face again, obscuring his right eye. Finally looking down at her, he jerked his head to one side, and eager to obey, she scurried away from him. As they continued onward through the trees, Sakura's fingers tingled.

His hair was softer than it looked, she recalled. It was still spiky, but more like fur than steel.

* * *

As it turned out, their destination was only a little bit beyond the stream. Madara stopped at the entrance to a cave. "We will remain here for tonight," he told her.

Sakura nodded. "Should we scout inside to make sure there aren't any large predators inhabiting it?"

Madara gave her an arrogant look. With a flourish, he unlatched his gunbai and strode into the cave. A moment later she heard a sharp whack, a yowl, and then the whoosh of a fire jutsu. She barely had enough time to jump out of the way as a black bear came barreling out, running as if its hide were on fire. Which it had probably almost been. The bear looked around then hightailed it and disappeared into the woods. A few beats later, Madara came outside again.

"It's unoccupied."

Sakura nearly choked at his casual tone. When he motioned, she followed him inside.

Hopefully he wouldn't notice the mark she had made on the back of a nearby tree during the short interval, giving her friends another clue to find.

* * *

It was official. Sakura _desperately_ wanted a bath. As Madara began stockpiling fuel for the evening fire, he had instructed her to nap. She had done so easily, momentarily satisfied that he wasn't going to murder her in her sleep. She had dreamed of Sasuke and Naruto, standing on Hokage Mountain high above the village, smiling with their hair blowing in the breeze, as their likenesses were carved into rock below. Then somehow the location had morphed into the Final Valley and the statues there, and Naruto and Sasuke had stood on opposite sides, reaching out their hands to one another. When she awoke from her dreams, chakra replenished to a healthier level, her body chose to make her aware that she _itched. Badly._

She didn't even want to risk smelling herself, and if she didn't bathe soon, then an infection could set into any of her open wounds, especially where the chakra receivers pierced her. Even her healing jutsus couldn't completely prevent that.

That stream a little ways back had been deep enough for her to bathe in. She considered this with great yearning. There was just one problem.

Madara.

If she told him she needed to bathe, he might let her. His chakra receivers would ensure she didn't run off. But he had been keeping a close eye on her since they had made medicine for the first time the other day. He was wary of her poisoning him. Any moment she slipped away from him was a moment she could be picking poisonous plants, though he could leave her alone in the cave since there weren't any plants to speak of here. She fingered the pocket where the single bloom of monkshood lay hidden. She wouldn't use it just yet, but she would be looking for any openings. And she would be monitoring his arousal level. If she saw any signs of him becoming unhinged, or ready to kill her, then she could smear the flower on the kunai's edge and try to stab him just once with it...

But none of this solved the problem of her bath. Sakura did _not_ want Madara watching her. So for the time being, she wouldn't bathe. Simple.

She itched herself again.

* * *

Madara stood outside in the shade of the trees, eyes closed. He could sense every little twitch or hum around him, the animals that moved and the plants that swayed in the breeze, all that was alive. He could feel the easterly wind reaching towards him from the treetops above and the cumulonimbus clouds pressing down.

He could sense that the kunoichi in the cave was now awake.

What to do now? His plan had failed. Humanity was awake again. And it would be only a matter of time before the wars and bloodshed and relentless misery began again. _"Man seeks peace, yet at the same time yearns for war..."_ He remembered telling Hashirama this. _"Thinking of peace whilst spilling blood is something only humans can do."_ Did he really want to experience humanity's decline once again? He scoffed. That was why he had become a hermit all those years ago. There was no point in venturing outside of his cave, not until the preparations for his plan were ready. But it had taken too long for the Rinnegan to awaken. And now, now beyond even his natural life, all the preparations and hard work he had put into his plan... were gone.

Humanity was awake and just as vile as it ever was.

Why had Hashirama's dream been so strong? Hadn't he seen what humanity was capable of?

He shook his head with a slight smile. His best friend was such an optimist, such a sentimental fool... The smile faded. Even in the end, Hashirama had been trying to make peace with him...

 _"Remember back when we were children? You once said, 'Ninjas never know when they die.' And if there ever were a way to immortality, that we'd share it no matter what… That we'd have to exchange our cups and become brothers. But we're both dying now. So… The only thing we can do now, is to exchange our cups as comrades."_

 _"Comrades… huh… well… if… that's… how… it is… then… I… won't…"_

...And he had accepted. Before he "died" again, he had wanted to exchange his cup with Hashirama and become comrades once more.

Madara sighed as he looked heavenward. He thought he felt a slight drop of moisture, rain perhaps, but it must have been his imagination. "Hashirama... you..."

Would Hashirama's dream continue in this world? As soft and fragile as it was, somehow it had survived. Madara would have thought it would be killed years ago — if not by Madara himself, then certainly by the decades of warfare since Konoha's founding. He had died during the time of the Third Great Ninja War, and he'd sat quietly through the First and Second ones. Those had been completely humanity's own doing. And yet, even now, perhaps especially now, there had been young ones who still followed Hashirama's dream.

Like that Naruto boy. Like that pink-haired kunoichi in the cave.

Could she and the others really hold the pieces to making Hashirama's dream a reality? Could they hold the answers to the questions he was now seeking? _Would_ they answer him?

He felt along his hair, recalling Sakura's light touch. He remembered how he'd played with her hair.

His touch had been intentionally sinister, while hers had been gentle and genuine. If her actions were any indication, no matter how unintended, then she was clearly feeling some small amount of loyalty toward him. Good. He would work with that.

* * *

Madara had brought food. _Actual food._

Sakura boiled with jealousy. With his receivers still in her, she imagined it wouldn't be easy to sneak up on prey, but Madara had managed to go out and catch two rabbits. How he had done it so quickly, she had no idea — he'd been here in the cave one minute, then out and back with the food in the next, it seemed. He was going to get to enjoy meat tonight while she would only sit there burning with envy. She started mentally calculating how many pinecones she would need to sate her sudden intense hunger.

Sakura's stomach growled. Madara looked up from skinning and quartering the rabbits. He smirked. "Impatient, are we?"

Sakura blushed, holding a hand over her stomach. "Need help?" She then realized what she was asking him. It wasn't her dinner — Madara still had to let her go out and find something to eat — and she had just offered to prepare _his_ meal for him...

"Not at all. I wouldn't trust you to prepare food. You're still a ninja, after all."

Sakura decided to take it as a compliment. "Thanks."

Madara gave her an odd look and went back to skinning. In no time at all, chunks of rabbit meat were roasting on two spits and Madara was staring into the fire, lost in thought. The glow of the flames danced upon his face, giving him a scary look... or it would have been, but there was something in his eye. He didn't look so harsh right now, Sakura realized. His eye was in its natural black state, as opposed to the red of the Sharingan or grey of the Rinnegan.

"I don't know how to cure blindness," Sakura found herself saying.

"Hmm?" Madara tilted his head toward her to show he was listening.

"I- I noticed your right eye... it's lost the light, right? I'd fix it if I could..." She wasn't sure if she meant it or not, that she would _want_ to fix him, but again, her duties as a medic compelled her to address all of her patient's physical concerns. And she really couldn't fix it. It would take a divine miracle or an eye transplant to give him back his sight.

"Hmm..." Madara rumbled. "No matter."

She wondered what to make of it. He seemed remarkably calm about the whole thing.

He turned suddenly, offering her one of the spits. "Dinner is served."

Uchiha Madara was...sharing his food with her?! She could scarcely believe it. Meanwhile her stomach did a wild dance of jubilation.

"Thank you! Thank you so much!" she accepted the spit hastily and within her first bite, her face split into a wide grin. She looked so happy, over something so simple.

Madara turned away. She thought he might have been chuckling. She tried to eat more slowly and gracefully instead of scarfing down the savory meat.

They ate in companionable silence for a few minutes before Madara broke it:

"Now, what did you say happened to my clan?"

Sakura nearly choked on her meat.

* * *

"Ten years ago, Uchiha Itachi wiped out his clan overnight. Itachi was Sasuke's older brother. Sasuke was the only person spared that night. Everyone else was killed in their homes. To this day, it's known as the Uchiha Massacre."

They sat in utter silence for a full minute. The only sound was the popping of the fire. Sakura's mouth was dry. Would Madara be sad that his family was gone? Would he be happy?

"...This Uchiha Itachi, huh?" Madara finally said. "Not the Senju dogs?"

"No. What made you think that?"

"There are always winners and losers in this world," he said bitterly. "Even from the very foundations of Konoha, the Senju have wanted to subjugate the Uchiha. I'd always thought it would be them who would close the book on my clan. But to think that an Uchiha..." He glared suddenly. " _…How could he betray us?_ What on _Earth_ would make him turn on the Uchiha that way?!" he hissed. Sakura felt his chakra spike in his growing rage. Despite what the stories had said about Madara, they had gotten a few things wrong, she realized. The Madara they spoke of would have killed his own family in a heartbeat, along with the rest of Konoha. The Madara here before her held a surprising amount of loyalty to his clan. That was when she realized. He might have left his family behind, returned to try to destroy Konoha, but he had never once attacked his own family directly.

"I-it was said that Itachi wanted to test his own limits against the clan, and that he acted alone. That's what we were told," Sakura swallowed. Her eyes narrowed. "However, I don't think that's the entire truth."

"...What do you mean?" Madara's rage seemed to halt at her words.

"I believe it was a result of the Nine Tails' Attack seventeen years ago." Her eyes widened. "Seventeen years ago _yesterday_." She slumped sadly then. "Yesterday was Naruto's birthday..."

Madara was watching her. When it looked like she wasn't going to cry, he prompted her. "Go on?"

She faced him, wide-eyed suddenly. "Madara... The village leaders thought that an Uchiha was behind the attack. Jiraiya-sama thought that it was... _you_... specifically." She looked nervous. "Was it-?"

"The last time I attacked Konoha with the Nine Tails was before any of the Great Wars," Madara said dismissively.

"Oh! So, it wasn't you…" Sakura breathed, trying hard to overlook how nonchalant he was about attacking her hometown. Though she supposed that as one of its founders, he felt it was more his than hers. "Most of the population believed it was a natural disaster, at first anyway, but the higher-ups were certain that an Uchiha was behind it... There were things Naruto said recently, during the fighting… I think he found out for sure that there _was_ someone behind the attack. If it wasn't you, then... Was it Obito? Even then?"

"If so, then how would Obito have gotten to the Kyuubi? Last I had heard, it was locked inside of another Uzumaki."

"I don't know. Somehow it got out and was set on Konoha. That night, the Fourth Hokage sacrificed his life to save the village- Wait, what?!" Sakura's mind screeched to a halt. "What did you mean, the Nine Tails was locked inside of another Uzumaki?!"

Madara rubbed the bridge of his nose. "When I first fought Hashirama in the place now known as the Final Valley, I had the Nine Tails on my side." He was seething, and the tips of his ears were turning red. "Hashirama...managed to take it from me. Later on his wife, Mito, sealed it inside of herself. Her name was _Uzumaki_ Mito."

Sakura nodded, heart racing as she wondered if Madara was going where she thought with this.

"In her later years, Mito passed the burden of the Nine Tails on to another clansmen. A young woman by the name of Uzumaki Kushina. Your friend Naruto is the third container for the bijuu-"

"-And he's an Uzumaki too," Sakura finished. "What are the odds?"

They looked at each other.

"So... That means, that not only was the Fourth Hokage really his dad, but that the previous Kyuubi holder-"

"-Was his mother most likely."

Both their eyes lit up. For both of them, there was something to be said about knowledge and making connections. They _thrived_ on it.

"Where else would he have had a child on hand who could contain the Nine Tails so conveniently, but from right within his own family," Sakura breathed.

Madara frowned. "But how does this relate to the Uchiha Massacre?"

"...After the Kyuubi's attack, there was a lot of mistrust for the Uchiha. It was never expressed outright, but I found out later from Tsunade-sama that the village elder Shimura Danzo had a very strong disposition against the Uchiha. But why would he do that if the Uchiha were innocently slaughtered in their beds?! He said things that piqued Tsunade's suspicions. And the aftermath of the most recent Kage Summit revealed that he was harboring a Sharingan underneath his bandages. I heard Naruto say to Sasuke that he knew the truth about Itachi. Sasuke spent most of his life wanting revenge against his brother for murdering their family… He _hated_ him. But then, when I first saw him after Itachi's death, he wanted his brother back. Somehow, _he loves his brother again._ But why?" Sakura paused to let that sink in, then continued. "I don't think Itachi wanted to kill his clan, or at least he didn't do it for the reasons he claimed. I think someone _forced_ him to. And another thing… I don't think he did it alone."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Your family is very strong. It would take a person of immense capability to slaughter everyone in a single night. Someone with your legendary strength. Itachi was strong, but… Killing someone who you love desperately, let alone many people you love, is not easy. I don't know how he would have done it alone…" _I couldn't, when I tried to stop Sasuke by myself…_

Madara noted the pained look on her face, but she didn't elaborate on it.

"Sasuke never said he saw anyone else that night, but I think someone else was there, before he confronted Itachi. But this is just a hunch. I asked Naruto what the truth was about Itachi, but he wouldn't tell me, because Kakashi-sensei told him not to. They were keeping secrets from me again!"

There was a dark, troubled look in Madara's eye. Restlessly, he fingered his gunbai.

"…Madara?"

"…I think I have an idea of who would help Sasuke's brother. My... _apprentice_." He said the word distastefully. "But we shall have to see. There's someplace we need to go to verify it."

"One more thing. When I saw Sasuke that day, it was right after he murdered Shimura Danzo of the Hidden Leaf. Remember how I'd called him one of the village elders? Well, he'd been one of the advisors for the Hokage, first for the Third, and then for Lady Tsunade. That, plus everything else, makes me wonder if maybe… If maybe Itachi did it on orders from the Leaf. I'm not even supposed to think such a thing! But if Sasuke killed Danzo because of it…"

"I remember him. Shimura Danzo was one of Senju Tobirama's students."

"One of Nidaime-sama's?"

"Perhaps, I will tell you a story as well…" Madara mused, "about your beloved Second Hokage. Are you a good listener?"

"Yes!"

"Well, then, this should be quite a story for you… I will tell you tomorrow, on the way to our next destination."

Sakura nodded, already looking forward to it. "Yes!"

* * *

"Ooh!"

Madara's head raised at Sakura's excited squeak. She was standing near the entrance to the cave, tentatively sticking out a hand. Something clearly landed in it, because she gave a little jump and squeaked again.

He sighed. "What is it?"

"Madara, it's raining!" She gave him a huge smile. Her feet were already moving towards the exit when suddenly she froze, her whole body vibrating. Madara's slow footsteps came until he stopped just behind her. "And where do you think _you're_ going?"

She turned her head with a pleading look. "Please, please, let me take a walk outside! You can come with me if you want. It'll only take a few minutes..."

He gave her an odd look. "You really love the rain so much, do you?"

She nodded emphatically.

"Very well." He released his hold on her and she stumbled forward, quickly catching herself. She bounded again for the entrance but this time stopped on her own, waiting for him.

He waved a hand. "Proceed." He had to suppress a groan at how childishly she skipped out into the rain.

They walked underneath the trees, where the rain made a soft crashing noise as it was stopped by leaves. Water dripped here and there, but Sakura seemed disappointed. "I need to get to a clearing, or someplace higher," she whined.

 _What was with this strange girl?_

Her eyes lit up. She gave him her very best smile, and he could feel his suspicions rise. Then, she pointed up. "Could you please give me a boost...Madara?"

 _Would this at least finally curb her irritating bouncing?!_ He contemplated her for a moment before silently bending down, getting his hands into position. "Come."

He caught her fleeting grin, and then she ran at him. He thrust her into the air.

WHOOSH! She shot up, her hand shot out, and she grabbed the nearest branch. But she didn't stop there. She flung herself upward with incredible force, caught a branch, and then did it again. As Madara watched her, he realized she wasn't using chakra. She was using her own natural athleticism to ascend.

He smiled. _Not bad._ Not that he would ever tell her that.

He followed her up to the canopy of the tree. From up high, the forest around them looked like a sea of green, undulating in the wind's strong currents. The rain fell from the heavens as far as the eye could see, and it gave a strangely dizzying effect, like vertigo. Sakura was watching the clouds intently. When a bolt of lightning zigzagged through the sky, she bolted straight upright, mesmerized.

They were in for a show.

Before too long, lightning cut through the sky, and the thunder rumbled and shook them as if it were a physical thing. Their hearts could feel the sound. He noticed that Sakura's face had changed to one of solemnity. She mouthed a name: _'Sasuke-'_

The thunder boomed through them.

Slowly, words formed on her lips. _'Now I know why Sasuke loves it so much.'_ He didn't know what she meant. But she seemed profoundly moved by the storm.

Slowly she stood up, extending her arms over her head. Soon, her black shirt was spotted with raindrops. She opened her arms and threw back her head, as if embracing the sky.

His eye twitched. What was she doing?!

He got his answer when an especially fierce gust of rain lashed down, soaking her quite thoroughly. A stream of dirty water ran down the back of her neck, and muddy puddles were forming under her heels. Filth was sloughing off her clothing. Her hair was turning from tattered brown back to pink again.

 _She had wanted to take a shower._ The answer was so simple that he almost laughed.

Sakura raised her face to the skies, humming slightly, as the rain washed her clean.

* * *

"Stop shivering!" Madara commanded. "It's undignified of a shinobi."

Sakura glared at him before wrapping her arms tighter around herself.

Once Sakura had her fill of the rain, they had gone back to the cave. She had surprised him by jumping out of the tree with no fear, and he'd looked curiously - but _not_ with alarm - to see if she would land on her feet. To his amusement, she had been swinging from the tree branches like a monkey, going lower with each successive limb, until she landed safely back on the ground. He had joined her not a moment later. Wouldn't do for her to be left unattended.

And now the silly girl was freezing cold _and_ wet. Madara rolled his eyes. Did it never occur to her that showering or bathing during the _daytime_ instead of the night might have been more prudent?

"But you're lucky," he heard Sakura mutter. Her voice betrayed her shivers, though she undoubtedly tried to sound fine. "Your long hair keeps you warm."

He ran his fingers slowly through his luxurious mane, savoring the scowl on her face. "If you're so envious, then why did you not grow out your own hair?"

"I did, long ago. It got me in trouble with an enemy. So I cut it off. Doesn't anyone ever try to grab your hair during battle?"

"Hm? They cannot touch me. No one can reach me at all."

"No need to be so haughty about it."

"When you can back up every claim you make, you can afford to be haughty."

"You sound like a friend of mine…"

"Let me guess. Sa-"

" _Yes._ Please don't say his name."

He quirked an eyebrow. "Left a bit of a sore spot in you, did he?"

She winced. "You have no idea."

They sat together by the fire, and Madara's words from earlier came back to her:

" _There are always winners and losers in this world."_

* * *

 **A/N** "Red skies in morning, sailors take warning. Red skies at night, sailors delight."

"Mackerel sky, not 24 hours dry."

"Mare's tails; storms and gales. Lofty ships shall carry low sails."

Just some fun little weather limericks. :)

Also, there was a song playing in my head when I wrote the storm scene: "Boom Boom Ba" by Metisse. If you haven't heard it, it's worth a listen. One of the prettiest and most soothing songs I've ever heard. A true favorite.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Wow! I am stoked! I came back from Spring Break and was cheerfully inundated with joyful reviews! (LOL I'm sounding like Rock Lee now XD ) Thank you so much! As promised, I'll respond here:

 _KellytheKid_ \- Yes! There is definitely an element of Stockholm Syndrome! Poor Sakura probably doesn't even realize it... Hopefully she won't let Madara totally mess with her head. Then again, maybe he'll have some Lima Syndrome too...  
 _Lily_ \- I am in total agreement with you. *swooning over Madara's hair again* Kyaa~!  
 _AFangirlLife_ \- Yep! Things will continue to improve between them too... But of course, as with all things Madara-related, expect some bumps in the road as well!  
 _shellly.c_ \- It'll be interesting to see which wins out: Sakura's tendency to create bonds, or Madara's tendency to manipulate. I promise you, it'll be a hell of a fight!  
 _Illuminated_ \- Thank you! I promise to update by next weekend :) so there'll be more chapters to enjoy soon!  
 _Blissangel91494_ \- Thank you so much! :)  
 _Rebeca13_ \- I totally agree with you! Sasuke impacts her life in a huge way. Hopefully it'll be something that helps her find some common ground with Madara, since they have some similarities, instead of creating a barrier between them. And you're right, Madara is getting gentler with her, even if he won't completely acknowledge it himself.  
 _Guest_ \- Thank you. :)  
 _shadow_ _miko_ \- Thank you! I'm sorry I took so long to update this last time; I promise to update more quickly the next time. Enjoy! :D  
 _DiizGirlJess_ \- Yep, despite both their stubbornness, they're definitely progressing, muahahahaa! Thank you and enjoy!  
 _Noble Cadence_ \- Aww, thank you. :)  
 _JigokuShoujosRevenge_ \- It's honestly one of the funnest parts to write! Madara planning one thing, Sakura planning something contrary, and the two indirectly thwarting each others' plans. Madara's arrogance being his downfall is particularly enjoyable. :D  
 _Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl_ \- YES! There will most definitely be more hair action in the future! *getting a nosebleed now* And yes, the idea of his hair collecting his enemies' blood just seemed so morbidly over-the-top that it totally fit him! Him and his weird sense of humor. And yes, he does know her bouncing is adorable (even though he's severely in denial, of course). Thank you again for encouraging me to post the plant info! I love plants, and it's even funner meeting someone who enjoys them just as much.  
 _Guest_ _-_ Thank you. Your review is what got me kicking on finishing this chapter. I was having a little writer's funk, and your review was perfect timing. :)

Thank you again, everyone! Hope you enjoy!

~S.S.

* * *

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER SEVEN-

 **-/-**

Bones, bones as far as the eye could see.

There must have been a battle here not long ago, Sakura thought. Blood still soaked the once-fertile earth. What a horrible place to die. Cracked and barren, hope had long ago fled this no man's land, and the only inhabitants here were the recently deceased. But the flesh decays quickly, and now there were only bones left to gnaw.

The beast crouched down in the center of the graveyard. His power was a physical thing, emanating from him as vividly as the red cloud of blood that rose from his hair, steaming. His once-pristine robes were now sullied crimson. He was eating something from the ground.

Sakura didn't want to know what or _who_ it was. She just wanted to get away before the beast noticed her too. For this graveyard was of the beast's own making.

Sticks and bones, sticks and bones...

She could smell the stench of death all around, and the beast's odor was particularly foul. She whispered away, footsteps light-

Behind her! A new malevolence, from out of a vortex. She recognized the scarred visage. _Obito!_

In her haste to get away, she clattered over a bleached femur. The beast's head darted up, scenting the air. He would come for her!

"SAKURA!"

Naruto's scream. How was he here too?! He wasn't supposed to be here! Was he warning her?!

No. She saw then, he wasn't. It wasn't her safety he was worried about.

 _Obito had him._ Five fingers dug into Naruto's stomach. The Nine Tails seal emerged.

"WOOOOOOOAAAA!"

Obito's fingers dug in even more harshly, and the spiral of the seal copied itself into his right eye.

"No! _Naruto!_ "

There was nothing she could do. All her training, all her effort, and she was still helpless to stop what was happening. Obito teleported, his spiral sucking him inside of Naruto's belly. As Sakura watched in horror, Obito spread into her closest friend like an infection. Naruto's blond hair turned black and dead; his blue eyes were replaced by feral red. In his place stood a monster; Naruto was no more.

"Naruto..." she sobbed. But there was no bringing him back now. Obito had overtaken him.

In that moment, she remembered the beast in the graveyard. Darting her eyes over, she realized he was gone. And then, cruel, mocking laughter rang in her ears. A flash in her mind of bloodied teeth, stretched into a grin. And strange eyes, like the ripples in a pond.

There was a tree overhead. A great and terrible tree with a single huge blossom at the top, reaching for the rust-colored moon. She dreaded looking, as if just doing so would make the thing she feared real.

Hanging from the trunk of the tree, holding on by both hands and feet, stood the beast. As she feared, he was smiling at her. Though she told herself not to make direct eye contact, she found herself enthralled in his gaze. His eyes gleamed with bloodlust, bright and fascinated with her. The look he gave her was pure longing to hear her scream.

She sent a fervent wish to whoever could hear her that this whole thing was just a horrible dream.

And the beast leaped onto her from above-

Sakura awoke, gasping. The dim walls of the cave surrounded her. No bone graveyard. No friends dying. But there was one thing from the dream that remained...

The beast was here in front of her.

For a moment, Sakura was confused. He didn't have white hair, but shaggy black. His eye — the one good eye he had — gleamed red instead of colorless ripples. But the aura was the same. The evil.

The beast was with her still.

For Uchiha Madara was awake, and staring at her through the shadows.

Sakura flinched, spooked. Madara didn't move an inch. But his eyes narrowed. Sakura's skin crawled; it was as though he were seeing into her very soul. Could he read thoughts? Did he know what she dreamed about?

They stared at each other for several minutes, but Madara didn't say a word. And Sakura's fears refused to lessen. Even though the nightmare was an exaggeration, sometimes dreams were not too far off from reality.

* * *

"Was this your first war?"

Madara's grave voice snapped Sakura out of her thoughts. They were picking their way through the woods, away from the cave. The sky was grey and overcast, and underneath the trees, it was almost dark.

She hadn't been able to sleep again after the nightmare, and she had been wondering just what had prompted it. Madara's question made a disturbing amount of sense. PTSD. War veterans often suffered from it... Though as shinobi, it wasn't often addressed. Was that what her dream was? The beginning stages of PTSD?

"Yes. I've fought before, but never in a war."

Delicately she hopped over a fallen tree. Almost immediately, she felt a wave of dizziness. She frowned; she'd been feeling worse since she woke up. The pain from the black rods was nearly unbearable.

"I can tell. Your sleep is disturbed. Bad memories already?"

Sakura gulped. She didn't want to tell him what she had dreamed about, _who_ she had dreamed about. He must already know that she feared him; to give him confirmation through her dream would put her in an even weaker position. And she couldn't allow him that, no matter how cordial he was being to her.

"Have you ever dealt with bad memories?" she asked, instead.

"Hmm? Well, I wouldn't know. I have no trouble sleeping through the night, when I wish to."

"Y-you weren't sleeping last night. Was I keeping you up?" she asked hesitantly. Somehow, she couldn't quite believe him when he said he had no bad memories. Call it shinobi's intuition or something, but, to become as intense as he was, he couldn't have lived his life unscathed. He had demons. He must have them. Who didn't?

"Not at all. When you've been dead as I've been, sleep no longer has much use." He waved a hand dismissively. "I imagine I won't need sleep for quite some time. I have catching up to do."

 _Oh joy. So every night or morning when I wake up, Madara will be watching me. How the hell am I supposed to escape him now?!_ The last thing she had remembered from the night before was staring into Madara's eyes over the flickering campfire... After that, she had become so tired that escaping hadn't even crossed her mind. Her eyes widened in realization. Had he used the Sharingan on her to force her to sleep? _I'm letting him catch me off guard. This isn't good._

"And you have some catching up to do as well, don't you?" He raised an eyebrow. "I believe I owe you a story."

"Oh! Y-yes. You were going to tell me about Nidaime-sama, right?" As she spoke, pain and nausea assaulted her, and she could barely stop herself from gagging. Had her infection from the black rods gotten worse? Her skin was red and swollen... It was so hard to think right now, with the pounding in her head.

Madara's face contorted. "By the time I am finished with my story, I imagine you will _not_ speak so reverently of that man."

Sakura nodded immediately. She did _not_ want to get on Madara's bad side. The dream flitted through her mind again, and she shivered.

Madara regarded her with a long, wary look. There was something _off_ about her today. Perhaps she had caught a head chill from her wet hair last night. He snorted; as a medic, she should have known better.

"Our story begins during the Warring States Period," he started. "Back in those days, the Uchiha were the strongest in the world, rivaled only by the Senju clan of the forest. And from that clan, my greatest rival and closest friend was born. His name was Senju Hashirama..."

As Madara spoke, Sakura tried to imagine what it must have been like during the Warring States Period. Every day must have been a struggle for survival, each day a possible day to die on. No peace. No childhood. Children sent to the battlefield and dying in the trenches, the same as adults. How many people had Madara seen die from a young age? How young was he the first time he had spilled blood? Sakura felt something foul settle in her throat.

"I was the eldest of four younger brothers."

 _Four?! The history books only mentioned one!_ Sakura listened with growing trepidation. Whatever she had imagined about Madara's child before was nowhere near what he was telling her now. _Is this how it all began?_ she wondered. _If it was, then he was innocent once too._ She didn't know why it surprised her so much. As Madara continued, his words tore at her.

"Three of them died when they were only children, victims in the constant warfare." Madara's fist clenched. "Finally, it was only me and Izuna left."

Sakura's breath caught. Here it was. The history books had said that Madara had stolen his own brother's eyes for greater power. How would he justify it? She noticed that as he spoke, he had activated his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, as if by accident. It occurred to her for the first time that those eyes of his — eyes that had called down meteorites, eyes that had controlled the Nine Tails like a mere puppet, eyes that had seen decades of human history... Those were _Izuna's_ eyes.

"I did everything in my power to protect him. Until one day on the battlefield... _The day when Senju Tobirama mortally wounded him_."

* * *

He couldn't have chosen a more perfect guide.

It was moments like these where Madara believed that divine luck must be on his side. Well... Luck, and the skill needed to appreciate it and take advantage. He could have chosen Naruto to abduct from the battlefield. With his new healing powers, he could have made short work of Madara's injuries... Assuming his "upgrade" wasn't temporary, that is. But he had known regardless that Naruto wouldn't be so easy to defeat, nor would he have cooperated. Sakura, on the other hand, was capable, he'd give her that. In addition to her medical skills, she had come up with a strategy very quickly to deal with his Susanoo, showing herself to be both smart and observant. But her powers were by far the weakest on her team; her teammates themselves barely considered her most of the time. She had no chance of overpowering him, and she'd been smart enough to realize this. So he'd known that controlling her would be no issue.

What he hadn't counted on was how well-versed in Konoha's history she was.

This was a girl who took her studies very seriously. He wasn't certain the newer generation paid much attention to the past, so her attentiveness to the details of his life was...refreshing. She had critical thinking skills, enough to question things that didn't make sense, incongruities in history's narratives. And she had access to the information of _now._ And that was really the whole point.

He needed to learn what had happened during the years he was dead. He wanted to know how much the world, and Konoha in particular, had changed. Who better to ask than one of Konoha's own ninja, particularly one with such close connections to certain government officials? As the apprentice of the Godaime Hokage, she was sure to know about current world affairs...and she could even answer questions about her mentor, the last of Senju Hashirama's living descendants. As an added bonus, Sakura was close friends with Uzumaki Naruto, who was both the container of the Kyuubi and the so-called Child of the Prophecy. In short, Sakura had access to the exact information he most wanted to know.

Would she know some of the village's more shadowy secrets? Even if she didn't, he could perhaps...enlighten her. Or perhaps "enlighten" was the wrong word, since it was more akin to showing someone the dark. Yes... He hadn't blinded someone with the "light" since Obito. To show her, one who had for so long been indoctrinated with Konoha's beliefs, what the real world was like would be sweet beyond measure. He would place that darkness inside of her yet.

He would need to be far more careful with Sakura than he was with Obito. There had been precious little time to earn Obito's loyalty, and so this time around, he would go more slowly. With Sakura, he wasn't sure she ever would be totally loyal to him; after all, she loved her village. But he could make her conflicted. Uncertain. That would be all the advantage he would need to keep her under his control. To put the cherry on top, he could endear himself to her. Make her feel sympathy for him.

He might not have been so open with his story otherwise, but this was necessary to open her to his influence. What he hadn't counted on were the emotions recalling all this would bring up for him. Emotions he couldn't fully hide from her. But it would be alright, he decided.

After all, the best way to manipulate someone is to tell them the truth.

"Senju...Tobirama..." Sakura's breath had utterly left her. She was staring at him now in undisguised horror. "What?! Y-you mean to say that _Nidaime_ was the one who killed your brother?!" Her hands flew to her face, covering her mouth.

He noticed that she had dropped the honorific from Tobirama's title. Whether from shock or anger, he didn't know. He shouldn't have been surprised. Of course her academy classes wouldn't mention that little fact, he mused bitterly. History is written by the winners, after all.

"By doing that, Tobirama changed everything," he continued calmly, though anger stole into his voice. "I don't even think he was aware of how much; that bastard always did prefer to live in denial of the consequences of his own actions. You see, our clan had been planning on accepting a peace treaty put forth by Hashirama. But before dying, Izuna told me not to trust the Senju. He made me promise. It was... his last request of me." He bowed his head, his shoulders heavy. "Then he offered me his own eyes."

 _So... He hadn't taken them. They had been a gift freely given._ She could have doubted him, could have accused him of lying. But there was no mistaking the sincerity of his words, or the pain in his voice. She could _feel_ it. And she understood suddenly why his Curse of Hatred had been so potent. To lose not one but _four_ younger brothers... And then to lose the last of those to the hands of your best friend's younger brother... To lose the last person you had sworn to protect...

"Did you ever kill any of his brothers?" Sakura asked softly.

He looked... _sad_. She couldn't be imagining it. "No, I didn't. I never once killed another child on the battlefield — only fully grown adult warriors. But to him, it didn't matter. I was an _Uchiha_ , and to him, I might as well have slaughtered every single one of his family members in front of him! Though I believe he was jealous as well, of my close friendship with Hashirama."

Sakura was beginning to feel a dread that had nothing to do with the murderer that Madara would become. The more he spoke, the more she hear his sorrow and anger. The illusion was beginning to dissolve; the beast before her was human after all — human, and in terrible pain.

Her head pounded. Whether from the pain of her body's infection, or the horrors of Madara's life, she no longer knew.

Madara's story continued, progressing through the renewed fighting and ultimate truce between the Uchiha and Senju.

"...After I surrendered, Hashirama and I built the village together. Slowly, we began to rebuild our childhood dream. For the first time in years, I allowed myself to feel truly hopeful. But Tobirama dashed that once again."

 _How would it feel to be forced to work with your brother's killer like that?_ _Never mind Tobirama still being alive while Izuna was dead, but actually having to WORK with him?!_ Sakura's opinion of Madara changed drastically as she considered it: she was amazed he had ever remained in Konoha at all, let alone had a hand in building it.

"Tobirama insisted that we follow a democratic election process. Hashirama won the seat of First Hokage, of course. I... was _happy_ for my friend." Madara's voice softened as he admitted it. "It was right for him to have it. But I could sense Tobirama's ill will towards me and the entire Uchiha clan. You see, Hashirama had intended to make me Hokage. He wanted me to think of the village as my own family. He knew it would never replace my brothers, but he thought it could help fill the emptiness in my heart." Madara's expression turned bitter. "Of course, his more pragmatic little brother openly told him that he couldn't trust me. He asked for the democratic process in order to _explicitly_ prevent me from becoming Hokage. I know this, because I overheard them discussing it."

"B-but, the warfare was over!" Sakura burst out. "Didn't Nidaime get that?"

Instead of rebuking her interruption, Madara nodded. He seemed pleased to finally be telling his story to a willing listener. "He acted as though only the Uchiha had spilled blood, when of course no one's hands were clean. But for him, it was easier and more familiar to continue to see us as the enemy, rather than work for the peace Hashirama so desperately wanted. I knew then that Tobirama would never let the Uchiha be a part of the village. The Uchiha would never know safety within Konoha's walls. When I tried to warn my clansmen, they turned their backs on me. They accused me of stealing my brother's eyes for myself."

"But, your own clansmen...? They were there when Izuna died too, weren't they? Why would they accuse you of that?!"

"Think about it. We had just made a village with our mortal enemies, trading war for peace. Yet everyone's hands were stained with each others' blood – a precarious beginning, wouldn't you say? I was the only one who saw the reality of the situation: while the majority of people, myself included, would willingly make a go for peace, certain individuals – such as Tobirama – wouldn't rest until they at least had the upper hand. When I spoke of my fears, they called me an outlier. They said I threatened the peace. And it was far easier to hate me and cast me out than to examine their own bloodsoaked history and uncertain future. History needs a good scapegoat, don't you think?"

"So what they were saying about you… Some of it was true, and some of it was because there was no better place to put their own sins."

"…I do make a _magnificent_ scapegoat."

"But why?"

"Hmm. Well, if I had to guess, I suppose I would say... _They were afraid of my power._ " Madara gave a sudden, frightening grin. "I was the first Uchiha to awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan in my clan's memory. It was a power even the Uchiha did not fully understand. And people fear and hate what they do not understand."

 _Haku... Haku said something like that once._ Sakura remembered. He had been born in a village ravaged by war, and during that war, those with kekkei genkai had been used as weapons. After the war... they had remained weapons in the eyes of the majority, never seen as people. If she concentrated, she could almost hear Haku's soft, almost musical voice. _"We are special. We are powerful. And we are feared."_ A wave of sadness washed over her, for Haku, for Sasuke, for Naruto, and for Madara.

"I left because I knew, even if Hashirama denied it, that Tobirama would succeed him as the Hokage. And because his prejudices were still alive, I knew that he would use his power to subjugate the Uchiha. I wasn't wrong, but he was subtle about it. By the time my clansmen began to realize it, it was far too late, and I was already 'dead' by then. As you already know, I fought Hashirama at the Final Valley. I lost. Not only the battle, but the Nine Tails as well. As soon as the battle was over, Hashirama took it to his wife, and she sealed it within herself."

"So you didn't die?"

Madara gave her a sly smile but refused to answer her question. After all, a magician never reveals their secrets; if she knew about how he came back to life — _twice_ now — she might use it against him someday. "I went into hiding after that battle, and everyone believed that I was dead."

"You were still alive, and no one ever suspected."

Madara's smile widened. "Do you truly think they would have let me rest if they had? Some may have suspected over the years, but it was never spoken of aloud, nor confirmed. And my reputation only grew after my 'death'... I was something other than human, a legend, perhaps an invincible immortal or a demon, when in reality..." his expression grew harsh, "...I was just a disgraced shinobi sitting in a _cave_."

It must have hurt his dignity, being reduced to that, Sakura thought.

"So I kept watch over Konoha from the shadows. I maintained my unending vigilance over Hashirama and Mito, over Tobirama and the Uchiha, and of course the Nine Tails. I saw the mistrust grow between the Uchiha and the rest of the village. Our clan was relocated to the site of an old prison… Did you know that? The so-called position of 'trust' given to them to oversee the police force was nothing more than a way for Tobirama to keep watch over the Uchiha, as well as keep them segregated from the rest of the village and out of any positions of political power."

 _If Nidaime couldn't look past his prejudices, then what business did he have becoming a leader of the village?_ Sakura wondered if anyone had been able to be objective back then. Another thought came to mind: what if, instead of one village leader, there had been two? What if Hashirama and Madara had led the village together from the very start, and with each subsequent nomination, two people from different clans would have served together? Would that have helped them heal faster?

"I saw how my family was subjugated, just as I had warned! But did the Uchiha fight back? Did they stand up for themselves? No, they rolled over for the Senju dogs! Just as my brother had warned." His gaze flickered down, then back to hers again. "I watched Hashirama foster his children and grandchildren with Mito, and all along, I watched the Nine Tails to see if it would stir from within its seal. But it didn't. The beast remained dormant and unused, imprisoned within that _abominable_ Uzumaki."

Sakura was shocked to hear his sudden animosity. She thought he only reserved such vitriol for members of the Senju clan.

"But there is one time when the seal weakens… When a jinchuuriki is giving birth. Had I not already been 'dead', had there not been significant watch over Mito at the time, I could have stolen the Nine Tails right out from under their noses! Mito herself would have been able to sense me, of course, by using the beast's ability to sense negative emotions. Oohh, it burned me at the time not to take the opportunity to summon the beast—"

"Wait a minute!" Sakura interrupted, her eyes wide. "...You mean you actually _watched_ her give birth?! You spied on- on Shodai-sama's _wife_ , and saw her—" She blushed at the sudden inappropriate thought.

Madara's eyes narrowed. "No, I didn't _watch_. I merely monitored her chakra, and I could sense the Nine Tails' seal weakening—"

"Oh sure, you _say_ that, but—"

"Why would I want to watch that moment of ultimate female weakness? It is for that reason why a jinchuuriki should always be _male_."

"—Cuz that would be kind of perverted." There was a beat. Sakura tried not to smirk at the bewildered look on Madara's face.

Madara growled suddenly. "As soon as she married a Senju, I lost all interest in her! Repulsive clan!"

"…What?!" Sakura's mouth fell open in shock. "Y-you really _did_ have a thing for her?! Were you like a stalker or something?!"

"Oh, I respected Mito well enough," Madara waved a hand airily. "Anyone who can seal the full power of the Nine Tails within them is worthy of my respect. That's certainly more than your little jinchuuriki friend managed to do, despite being from the same clan. When she had the beast inside her, she was closer than anyone to being the Sage of the Six Paths. All that power!"

Of course, his interest in her was _only_ for her power; Sakura felt strangely disappointed. "But then—"

"It was only a _passing_ interest. And by the time I got to know her, she was well and truly smitten with Hashirama."

Sakura winced. _Awkward._ "So, Shodai-sama got the title of Hokage _and_ married the woman you loved—"

"How could I ever love a woman who would marry into _that_ clan?! The very clan that slaughtered my four brothers! Though..." Madara paused, and his tone softened again, "she was far happier with Hashirama than I ever could have made her. Hashirama still had warmth left in him... By that time, war was truly the only thing I had left worth living for... And, of course, my distant dream for peace."

She felt uneasy at the way Madara was suddenly scrutinizing her.

"...Why _did_ you fall in love with Sasuke, anyway?" His voice was silky now, dangerous. "He is a member of the accursed Uchiha clan. Surely you looked down on him for this? Why not fall in love with Naruto instead? Future Hokage, container for a Tailed Beast, and an optimist most of all... Why fall in love with darkness instead of light?" _Perhaps there was already darkness present in Sakura after all... Instead of putting it there, he would simply have to draw it out more._

"I didn't grow up hating the Uchiha, Madara! If anything, our generation was encouraged to hate _Naruto_. Something I deeply regret every single day." Sakura looked down, ashamed. "We all cherish him now, and I consider him to be one of my closest friends."

"Was it Sasuke's power, then?" Madara sneered, not allowing her to veer off-subject. "Were you intoxicated by how powerful he was and what it could offer you to be seen on his arm?"

"No! It wasn't like that at all!" Sakura declared fiercely. "The day I saw Orochimaru brand Sasuke with the cursed seal was one of the most frightening days in my whole life! After that, he wasn't the Sasuke I knew anymore…"

"Why then? Why love him?"

"Because when I knew Sasuke, he didn't have this darkness. He was my friend and my teammate. I... I was shallow in the beginning. Most of us girls had crushes on Sasuke because he was cool and mysterious... and then I was placed on his team! I thought it was a dream come true, being so close with my crush... But then I got to know the real him. The one he doesn't let other people see. I learned how far he would go to keep Naruto and me safe, because... he said we were precious to him. He was lonely, and… we had the chance to change that together, as Team 7. And- when his darkness began, I... I stopped caring about my shallow feelings for him. I just wanted to save him, _desperately_." Her voice came out a whisper. "I still do."

"But you realize that with his darkness, with his hatred, there is no room for anything else within him... He will never return your feelings for him." Madara's words were spoken carefully, almost kindly. The truth of them pierced her anyway. "He doesn't have the capacity to anymore. All he will ever know now is the hatred of this world."

Despite the pain, she lifted her chin and didn't falter under his stare.

"Love isn't about whether or not he feels the same way for me! I already know he doesn't... I'm not pushing him to be with me. As long as he's safe, that's all I care about."

"Why? You still love him, even though he can never love you back?"

She smiled sadly. " I would rather love someone who can never love me, than hate even a little bit. When I love Sasuke, I can only ever do good things for him. As long as I can help him find his way out of the darkness, I won't want anything else. As long as he's happy again someday…"

 _It must be nice,_ Madara thought, _to be loved like that._

"But if I were to hate... what good would it do? It would just feed more hatred, until it became a cycle. In order to break the cycle, you need to love more than you hate. Don't you see? It's the same as the questions you've been asking! _Love_... is the answer to peace."

It was strange, hearing those words now. When she talked like that, she sounded just like…

" _…Hashirama_ ," he murmured.

"Hmm?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. He was reminded of the day before by the stream, when their positions were reversed. "What about Hashirama?"

"...He used to spend considerable time babbling about love, too. That sentimental fool loved everyone and everything about his precious new village," _including the likes of me._

"You miss him, don't you?" Sakura gave him a knowing look, which he ignored. "You were best friends…"

"Hmph! I miss the entertainment of fighting with him. He was the only one capable of standing against me. Outside of that, he was quite an eyesore." He was silent for a moment. Sakura saw a look of longing cross his face. "…Perhaps I should learn that resurrection jutsu so I could bring him back again. Then we could fight each other for all of eternity!"

"You know," she said slowly, wanting to preserve the delicateness of this moment, "I have my own idea for what world peace could look like." That got Madara's attention. "It's not as grand as your idea was," she continued, "but I think it would make a world of difference."

"What is it?"

"…What if everyone were taught medical ninjutsu?"

"…Explain."

"If everyone were taught medical ninjutsu, it would teach them a greater reverence for the human body, and through that, for life." She held up her palms; he could see the angry red that surrounded the protruding rods. "If people held lives in their hands, they might not be so eager to take them." She smiled bashfully. "I know not everyone can learn it. You need perfect chakra control; if it were easy, everyone would already be a medic." She looked serious suddenly. "But I'm saying, if everyone were made to learn it, if everyone had to _try_ to learn it… If they had to see up close what happens to the human body when it's been pierced by a kunai, or poisoned… If they have to feel what the body feels as it's _dying_ … Especially if it's their comrades who are dying…" She shuddered. Madara wondered then just how many people had died despite her efforts to save them. Even mere days ago during the war... Was that what she dreamed about at night?

"I don't think people would so willingly rush into war. If they could see the effects of their own violence, maybe then they would reconsider." She clenched a fist, wincing slightly as she did. "So I guess that would be my ultimate vision for peace – to make everyone reconsider war! Like I said, I know it's not realistic. But… if they could grasp, even a little, of what it takes to keep someone alive, then I guarantee you!" She looked at him determinedly. "They would see the world with new eyes!"

Madara nodded. "Most interesting. You have quite the head on your shoulders, don't you, Sakura? To think of something like that…" He smiled to himself. Now he was curious to probe her mind more, learn more about this vision of hers. It was unlike anything he could have imagined and... it honestly intrigued him. Haruno Sakura was rapidly becoming more interesting.

"For now, story time is done. You look like you're about to keel over, so... Fix whatever is wrong with you, and then we'll continue on. After all, you're a medic... You cannot afford to be weak." He walked off in the direction of the stream, dismissing her.

No sooner had he left, Sakura slumped to the ground. _So, he noticed._ Him calling her 'weak' stung a little, though she knew better than to take it personally. Besides, if she didn't know any better... She would say Madara was affected by what she had said. More than he himself would admit.

* * *

A few minutes later, she'd concluded that yes, she _did_ have a systemic infection, plus she was running low on chakra _again_. She could heal the worst of wounds, but these rods... The longer they sat in her, the worse the infection would become. There was no helping it. If she wanted to heal the infection properly, she would have to remove the rods.

No. That wasn't totally correct. She would have to ask Madara to remove them for her. And by ask, she meant _beg._ "This is gonna suck."

With a groan, she stood up and began looking for Madara.

She found him before too long, near a copse of trees on the edge of a clearing. His back was to her. He seemed to just be… standing there. Was he spacing out?

"Um… Madara?"

His shoulders tensed suddenly. She was close enough now to see that his hair was vibrating. Alarmed, Sakura ran up and put a hand on his shoulder. "Madara—"

And she found herself on the other side of the clearing, shoved away by a gloved hand. She got up, about to ask what had him so on edge, when she caught Madara's glare.

"Wha-?"

Rather than answer her, he abruptly stalked off deeper into the woods.

"That's weird…" she thought. Then she noticed that the bushes he had been standing near were wet.

"EWWW! _And you pushed me with that hand?!_ "

* * *

Shortly thereafter, they reconvened and continued their trek. Sakura refrained from mentioning how she'd walked "in" on him peeing, and Madara seemed content to glare in stony silence. He seemed awfully prickly over something so minor, but she dreaded pissing him off even worse by saying anything, no pun intended. They stopped a few hours later for Sakura to heal him again.

"Your chest wound is completely healed," she announced as she backed up, wiping sweat off her forehead. "I can tell you've been taking the herbs, because the abnormal activity in your limbic system has quelled considerably. But we're not out of the woods yet. Your hypo-"

"I thought I told you to heal yourself!" he snapped suddenly. "What is wrong with you, girl?!"

"E-excuse me?"

"You have an injury of some kind; I can smell your blood." He frowned at her. "You will not last as my medic if you do not take better care of yourself. I would hate to have to kill you for your continued foolishness and disobedience," not that he planned to, but threatening her helped alleviate his embarrassment somewhat, "so I would recommend you d _on't_ try my patience."

"I-But I'm not injured." She motioned to the dried blood on her clothes. "What you're seeing is from the wounds caused by the receivers. There are parts I can't heal until-"

"No. The blood I _smell_ is _fresh_." He scanned her body, trying to pinpoint the source of the bleeding.

Confused, Sakura felt along her body, reaching out with chakra. Despite the horrible pain in the receiver sites, there were no new tears. Her stomach let out a gurgle. There was still pain there, and... and now that she realized it, at a certain place beneath her belly, on her pants, there was a small wet spot—

Sakura's cheeks flushed crimson. She stood up, spluttering, her legs clenched together awkwardly. "I'm going to take a bath!" She turned on her heel and began stumbling away, stopping long enough to hold up a finger. "DON'T follow me!" Then she ran.

Madara shook his head. "Doesn't that foolish girl realize that she'll be even sicker tomorrow if she bathes at night _again_? Isn't she supposed to be a top medic?" _She's every bit as air-headed as Hashirama! And she has the exact same annoying tendency to stand right behind me! Tch, Hashirama is laughing at me somewhere in heaven._

* * *

"That stupid, arrogant, totally uncouth…"

Sakura's muttering continued as she submerged herself in the river. Hastily, she pulled her clothes to the surface, making sure they wouldn't wash downstream. Night was already setting; if they got carried away by the current, she might not find them until the morning. Furiously scrubbing at the bloodstains, she continued her tirade against the infuriating man.

 _Madara has some nerve. Sniffing my wounds like a- like a- just how good a sense of smell does he have anyway?! Can he smell everything, or… or is he just really attuned to the scent of blood… Like a goddamn superpower of his or something!_ She shuddered. _I- I can't believe he smelled THAT on me! Uggggh!_ She buried her face in her hands as her whole body flushed scarlet. _Of all people…! Even Naruto wouldn't have been as humiliating!_

As her body soaked, the stinging returned to the wounds from the chakra receivers. The rain yesterday hadn't done as good a job as she had hoped. Now, with the cold water rushing around her, she could feel _everything_.

She was in much worse shape than she had been acknowledging. As soon as she got out of the water, she was going to have to spend some serious energy healing herself. Or…

Well, she couldn't have Madara killing her for failing to be healthy, could she?

 _Ughhh! Madara!_ And just like that, her mind went off again.

She was so deep into her rantings that she almost didn't notice the sudden shift in the breeze. A slight rattle. Sakura caught the scent of something sickly sweet.

She was on her feet in an instant.

She may not have been a sensor type, but a ninja always trusts their instincts. As she wrestled to put on her soaking wet pants, she tried to sense more about the environment. Nothing, no more clues. But something was definitely wrong.

Her anxiety mounting, Sakura stepped away from the river and towards the woods. Her hands fumbled, dropping her sodden shirt in the dirt. She didn't have time to worry about that. There was a slight flash of something, like chakra, a glow in the trees. Heart pounding, she started to race forward and—

Promptly ran right into an armored chest.

Hands reached out, steadying her. "Sakura." She recognized Madara's gruff voice to her relief, and then he was peeling her off his armor, holding her at arm's length to regard her more clearly.

She saw his one eye widen, and then his face was impassive again. His fingers moved slightly lower on her shoulders. One hand gloved, the other bare. She was hyperaware of his touch.

Her hands immediately moved to her breasts, covering herself. He didn't let go of her shoulders. Could he hear her heart pounding? Could he feel her trembling in sheer embarrassment that he had caught her like this? It was nighttime, so he couldn't have seen too much, or so she tried to tell herself.

She cursed her luck. Oh no, it wasn't bad enough that she was alone in the woods with a homicidal god wannabe, fighting a systemic infection, restrained by chakra rods like a prisoner, and on her period, which her _captor_ had pointed out – but now he'd seen her _half-naked_. The first man to do so. _Why_ _Uchiha Madara, of all people?!_ She closed her eyes; whether to drown out his inevitable mocking or to scour the memory of his eye roving her body, she wasn't totally sure.

Could this day possibly get any worse?!

 _HISSSSSS! Ssssss… Ssssss…_

Sakura mentally facepalmed. Yes. Yes, it could, and it _just had_.

"I came here because we're not alone," Madara said calmly, as if commenting on the weather. Finally he released her shoulders, turning towards the trees. "I could sense multiple chakras coming our way through the forest. No ninja. Just a rather large amount of serpents."

Sakura shivered. The trees were moving. There were snakes dropping out of the branches. From up above, from in front and behind, slithering on the ground, closer and closer. Venom dripped from fangs bared in a hundred small mouths. They were surrounded!

"I can sense their aggressive nature. I am guessing they're venomous and under orders from a powerful ninja. They seem to be _white_ snakes, more specifically. See how they gleam in the moonlight?"

The snakes weren't writhing _down_ the tree trunks, Sakura saw. They were emerging _from_ the trees themselves, wriggling through the bark. And she recognized the chakra they carried.

 _A mocking face with cruel, golden eyes. Sasuke, screaming in pain. A slimy man spitting out his own body, good as new. Naruto, in berserker mode, four fiery tails sweeping behind him—_

And she could hear it. The distinctive hissing, louder than the wind.

"Orochimaru," she whispered with dread. "These snakes belong to him!"

"Hmm?" Madara perked up. "So _this_ is Orochimaru… I've heard a lot about him, of course, but I've never had the pleasure of meeting him in person. Quite the fan of serpents, I see…"

 _Frozen. Paralyzed. Killing intent so powerful that she and Sasuke hallucinated their own deaths._

"He's alive… How is he alive?! I thought Sasuke killed him!" She smashed a fist into the ground, intent on driving them back. "AHHH!" She gave a short scream as the receiver there ripped the tissues further with the impact. Her hand was dripping blood now. The snakes slithered faster, egged on by the scent.

"Damnit!" She pointed her middle and index fingers on both hands, and twin glows of blue chakra shot out from them. He wondered what she intended to do with those little things against so many foes.

Madara raised his own fingers. "How would you feel about barbecued snake tonight for dinner, Sakura? Hmm?" He inhaled deeply.

 _'Fire Style: Majestic Destroyer Flame!'_

 _SSSSSAAAAAHHHH!_

The snakes screamed as they were incinerated. Just for good measure, Madara unsheathed his gunbai, twirling it in his fingers a moment, before giving it one hard sweep. _WHOOOOOSH!_ The flames erupted. With that single move, Madara turned the whole forest into charcoal. A true barbecue indeed.

Sakura nearly collapsed with relief.

"…I _do_ hate showing an audience the same moves more than once, and I believe you're already familiar with my charcoal-making skills, aren't you? But… we do need to eat, and this really is the best way to prepare snake…" Madara raised his hands and warmed himself by the blaze for a moment. Sakura realized then that the heat did feel very nice, especially after the coldness of the river. She sighed contentedly.

Madara tilted his head. "Are you hungry? Maybe some protein and iron will help you replenish your blood loss—Oh, excuse me," he leered suddenly. "Aren't you missing something?" His eye lowered on her body, and he smirked.

"What…?" Sakura looked down too, only to realize she was _still_ half-naked. And now, with the glow of the forest "bonfire", visibility was much improved. Madara could see _everything._

"EEEEEP! Look away, you perv!" she shrieked, before rushing back to the riverbank to retrieve her shirt, leaving Madara behind to laugh his head off at her.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N:** Hi everyone! I apologize in advance for the long chapter. I tried to tighten it up, but couldn't figure out which parts to edit out, so we're left with this monstrosity. I will try to make the next chapter smoother (and shorter) than this one! Sorry again!

Thank you for your reviews last chapter, and to all the folks who are following and/or favoriting! :D

 _Rhearenee_ \- Yep, they definitely both got embarrassed last chapter! And unfortunately for them, that's only the beginning *evil grin*. Madara was specifically annoyed because Hashirama used to embarrass him the same way, plus now Sakura's inadvertently found his weakness. And poor, poor Sakura...

 _shadow miko_ \- Thank you! Hope you enjoy this update. :D

 _LisbethMegalomania_ \- So true! I was cringing too while writing Sakura's parts. Some of them were borderline painful! I'm glad that translated well into the story. Poor Sakura probably wishes she could disappear right now... which Madara won't let happen, of course (darn him). Why am I so mean to that poor girl?!

 _JigokuShoujosRevenge_ \- Yep, Madara is a very callous individual. He probably assumes that Sakura should be able to heal herself, no matter how bad those rods are for her. He's got a looooooong way to go before he understands what world peace is really about.

 _kilau_ \- Thank you :D Glad the ending made you laugh!

 _Blissangel91494_ \- Thank you! :)

 _Guest_ \- Thank you! Will try to update consistently!

 _AFangirlLife -_ Thank you! :)

 _Ked_ \- Thank you! I was looking to see if any other stories on here have similar plotlines. Haven't found any yet, but it'd be fun reading them to see the different directions the authors took.

 _Lily_ \- Don't worry, Madara will definitely get his ego deflated in good time *Muahahaha*. Sakura's not going to take his embarrassment of her lying down! There are benefits to being best friends with Naruto, after all. :D

 _Guest_ \- I'm glad you enjoy the humor. :) Sometimes when the subject matter gets dark or obscure, humor helps me feel more grounded when I'm writing. I have to agree with you: poor poor Sakura...

 _midnight shadow of darkness_ \- Thank you! That's exactly what keeps the two of them engaged in their odd dance: each time they talk, they understand a little more of each other. Hard to make enemies when you see their humanity too... Of course, it'll get a lot more dramatic than simply "not enemies". XD

 _Taraneh Rose_ \- Absolutely! :D

 _Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl_ \- I like your instinct. Sakura might well be in way over her head with Madara, considering how adept he is at messing with people's heads. I had the same question about Sasuke! Hadn't he told Naruto that the statues were those of their forefathers when they fought the first time at the Final Valley... And then he didn't know who Uchiha Madara was?! I can only guess it was a plot retcon so that Sasuke would be more liable to fall for both Itachi's and Obito's stories about Madara. And yes, the end of Naruto WAS weird. I'm glad you chuckled at their romantic history discussion - it was meant to be somewhat humorous. And VERY yes, Madara is very weird and has absolutely NO sense of good personal boundaries. I think he did when he was younger, but then it all went bad after he first bit off some of Hashirama's "meat", to quote Zetsu (could they have chosen a more unfortunate word?!), and then later thrust his hand through Hashi's chest to steal his Sage chakra. Probably a side-effect of his godhood ambitions or something like that. :P Thank you for your awesome review!

Thank you everyone! ~S.S.

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER EIGHT-

 **-/-**

When Madara awoke, he felt strangely well-rested. It could have been due to the physical release he'd felt the previous night, when he had incinerated the snakes. Even though it had taken him next to no effort, he couldn't deny that battle was in his blood. It excited him. It was one of his greatest pleasures. A pleasure he would have willingly given up for world peace...

Though, he supposed, if Hashirama's Edo Tensei form had remained and if Madara's plan had been successful, he might have been able to enjoy dancing a while longer, even with the world sound asleep.

Madara stretched, feeling the joints crack satisfyingly. It _was_ nice to know a real body again. He could hear his blood singing in his ears. Tousling his own hair lazily, he sat up and looked around, only to notice that the medic was several feet away from him.

He was surprised. After putting her to sleep last night with his Sharingan, he'd lain down right next to her before drifting off. So how had she moved that far without him sensing it? And for that matter, why had she not tried to attack him in his sleep?

The thought of being vulnerable before her made him strangely thrilled. He wondered how he would have dealt with her if she actually had dared to attack. He doubted she could have killed him, but still... He felt strangely disappointed that she hadn't even tried.

Slowly he stood up and made his way over to her.

She was lying facedown on a carpet of dried leaves. He could see the raw skin on her right arm, and a bad smell wafted up from her.

He turned her over. She was alive, but...

"You really aren't doing so well, are you?" he murmured.

When he brushed the locks of hair from her face, he could feel her large forehead burning. Her skin was quite pale in spite of it... until his gaze reached the receivers embedded in her. The ones he could see were surrounded by reddened, pulsating skin.

He looked back to her face. "...Not so well at all." Slowly, her eyes opened.

* * *

Sakura could hear the beat of the earth beneath her, keeping time with her heart. Or maybe it was just her own heartbeat she was hearing, and she was more delirious than she thought.

The idea of figuring it out right now seemed much too exhausting. She wanted to go to sleep, but some deeper part of her, one with a rather shrill voice, warned her not to.

Vaguely she was aware of being turned over. The motion nearly caused her to throw up… Only throwing up would have taken too much energy as well. As it was, the wave of nausea settled quickly into pain and exhaustion. Why couldn't she just rest?

The feeling of a shadow. Someone standing over her now. A deep voice.

"You really aren't doing so well, are you?"

 _Madara._

She could feel his hair tickling her face. Was he leaning over her? Suddenly she felt something warm settle over her thighs. Fingers brushed her forehead.

"…Not so well at all."

Sakura wanted to know what the warmth was. She was overheated already, she didn't need any extra—

She opened her eyes. Madara was staring right at her face.

The warmth she had felt was his own body. He was kneeling directly over her, chakra pressing down into hers stiflingly. Dimly it occurred to her that if she wanted to kick him in the nuts, now would be the time. But she lacked the energy to do so, plus she had a vague feeling of terror when she thought of even attempting to strike him. His temper would be swift and merciless if she did.

Madara was holding her face in one hand, examining her, as if curious. His knee balanced in the dirt next to her right side, while his foot anchored him on her left. He was practically on top of her.

"Interesting," he murmured. "In spite of being an elite medical ninja, you're unable to prevent yourself completely from getting sick. Looks like you're human after all."

"I… never said… I wasn't," Sakura rasped back with effort. Her nausea worsened.

"Hmm. I wonder… Should I put you out of your misery now? Or…" Madara leaned so close that his nose almost touched hers. Sakura was gaining alertness quickly enough to feel a stirring of panic. Why was he straddling her like this?! Didn't he have any concept of personal space? Then his words sunk in: _did that mean he would kill her now?!_

His fingertips skimmed her body. Down her left side, over her hipbone, and finally stopping at a spot just above her knee, where a black receiver jutted out, though it was hidden under her clothes. He grasped the stake through the fabric.

Sakura's breathing had become shallow. It was one thing to be kneeling over her like this… it was quite another the way his hand had ghosted over her. The touch was too light… it made her hyperaware. He was her enemy! He wasn't supposed to be touching her that way.

His hand splayed over her breastbone, pinning her. And then—

 _Squelch._ "YAAAAHHH!"

Sakura screamed as Madara jerked the rod out of her leg. Her body bucked and she would have thrashed, but Madara held her down with just one hand. Her fingers grasped weakly at the soil beneath them.

His hand continued to slip down her leg, until he found the receiver embedded in her calf. Without warning, he pulled that one out too. Sakura gritted her teeth to refrain from screaming. A pained moan slipped out instead.

Madara tossed the receivers aside before his hand started up her right leg.

Sakura's hands were trembling, badly. She tried to raise them, so she could heal her wounds, but they wouldn't move. She tensed as Madara's fingers closed around the next receiver.

Two yanks later, and Madara was now on his way to her arms. But before he did, his fingers continued to run up her body. She felt her breathing get even shallower as they neared her right hipbone. If he moved his hand even a couple of inches to the left—

She swallowed the thought. So engrossed was she in making sure to erase it, that she failed to notice Madara's eyes casually roaming her face, making sense of her reactions.

As he pulled the receivers from her arms, two on each side, she screamed and writhed, her body arching against him. He sat on her even more firmly, pinning her with his full weight, and continued to remove the receivers. He had to struggle a little bit to keep her secured; despite her slight frame, she was quite ferocious.

Her fever was worsening. Her movements were growing sluggish, a sign of her heightened delirium.

He was done with her arms now, and she nearly yelped when he roughly turned her over. Then his fingers were probing her spine, finding where the receivers were hidden beneath her shirt. He pulled up her shirt to get a better view.

Now his naked gaze and fingers were on her bare skin. She shook slightly, feeling unbelievably vulnerable. But his fingers were gentle, at least until he got to the three receivers embedded in her back—

 _"YAAAHHH!"_

Steady fingertips traced away from bloodied skin, down the backs of her arms, until they reached her hands, one at a time. His bare right hand held hers, and with his gloved left hand, he finally ripped the last two receivers from her palms. Sakura's screams were muffled in the soil. Each hand had a gaping hole in it now; her entire body was marred with ragged, bleeding craters. But provided she could survive the extractions, she was free of his immediate control.

Coolly, Madara dropped the receivers in the dirt. Once there, they began to hiss and steam until they were no more.

"Nnnnngh…" Sakura let out a soft groan as he turned her back over again, so he could look at her face.

"From this point onward, whether you live or die is in your hands," he said. Then he stood up and stepped back from her, watching her with arms folded across his chest.

Her hands were shaking. He saw her lips part; she bit her bottom lip until she drew blood. Her eyes fluttered shut, and her body went limp. _Was that it,_ _then?_ Her breathing stopped. _Was she giving up already?!_

The only sound between them was the steady dripping of her wounds.

An odd sort of disappointment began to fill him... until he glanced at the diamond mark on her forehead.

The Yin seal glowed softly for a moment, then released. The lines began to run down her face, looping her neck, continuing on the skin under her clothes until they flowed to her hands and feet. Madara saw her hands start to steam and hiss as the holes in them healed and closed. But they still trembled.

Her shoulders and legs were steaming, and he could tell by the energy in the dirt beneath her that her back was doing the same.

For several minutes, he watched as her body healed itself, no doubt taking care of the infection and any damaged organs within her. Her pallor waned, and warmth returned to her skin. When she finally opened her eyes, he could see the vitality returning to them, clear and vivid green.

Finally, with a shudder, her seal receded, and he could see by her chakra levels that it must have run out. She hadn't re-accumulated her massive reserves yet. But her hands had finally stopped shaking.

Weakly she sat up, exhausted but alive. Tilting her head back, she looked directly into his eyes.

"Thank you, Madara."

Her voice was barely a whisper, but it was sincere. He nodded at her curtly. Whatever snide thing he was going to say was lost. He couldn't remember the last time someone had genuinely thanked him for something. What was she thanking him for? His mercy?

He narrowed his eyes and turned away from her. Now, without his rods in her, he wouldn't be able to leave her unattended. It was going to be even more imperative to keep an eye on her, so that she wouldn't escape or get word out to her allies. Briefly, he considered killing her right now, rather than go through the trouble.

But he wouldn't get his entertainment with her if he killed her. Whether or not there were other things that could entertain him was irrelevant (though he doubted it – only Hashirama was truly capable of doing that). That he was somewhat… _somewhat_ enjoying himself now meant… Well, he was loath to have to end his fun prematurely. He wasn't bored yet; once he was, all bets were off.

A devious smile. _So, I'll keep her, then._ Not a problem. He had other ways to make sure she didn't escape. Not that it would help her much if she did; swift and sure as the Susanoo's armor-sleeved strike, he would hunt her down. There was _nowhere_ she could ever hope to hide from _him._

He turned back to her, stoic mask in place. She was carefully examining herself, checking to make sure all her limbs and muscles were in working order. Even now with next to no chakra, she looked healthier than she had all week.

"Thank you," she said again, giving him a genuine, relieved smile.

Then, before she could say more, she passed out.

* * *

Sakura awoke to the sound of rushing water.

Gravel dug into her legs and hands as she sat up. She was lying next to a stream. But instead of being shadowed by trees, the area was wide open, at the edge of a small field.

 _Spla-spla-spla-spla-spla-THUNK!_

Her head turned at the soft sound. Madara was sitting about fifteen paces from her, skipping stones across the water. The one he had just skipped had made it clear to the other side!

As he raised his hand to skip another stone, she took a moment to look at his face, the little of it she could see from behind his wild mane. His jaw was relaxed; the contours of his skin were smooth. Though… there was a slight pinch between his eyebrows as he concentrated.

Madara paused, then skipped the stone. As it skimmed the water, a slight breeze blew the hair away from his eyes. In his one bright eye, she could see a faraway look, a certain ease as he watched the stone dance over the water's surface.

 _THUNK!_ It landed cleanly on the opposite shore.

Madara stood up then, his armor creaking as he slowly rotated his shoulders. Only then did he look over at her with his trademark serious expression, arms crossed as always.

"So… you're awake."

She stood up and walked to him. For the first time in days, she could move without pain, and her body rejoiced. "I am. Thank you," she said softly.

Madara inclined his head.

When she was within a few feet of him, she noticed a bowl on the ground, hidden when he'd been sitting. There were the last dredges of a concoction. She recognized the color.

"You really have been taking your medicine." She looked at him with something akin to pride, which she felt whenever any of her patients followed her directions.

"I have." He nodded, before adding to himself, "…Though it would go much better with some inarizushi and sake."

"Sweetness to wash away the bitterness?"

He scrutinized her, looking for some hidden meaning in her words, before nodding slowly.

She couldn't help herself. "Isn't that what life is about? Taking in the necessary bitterness and finding the sweetness in it to soothe the ache?"

His lips twitched upwards. "Wise words for such a young brat."

"Quite a concession from an old geezer stuck in his ways," she responded, playfully sticking out her tongue.

He looked over at her sharply. His eye narrowed. She could have been imagining it, but… was his lower lip jutting out just a bit?

He turned his gaze back to the flowing stream. "I am _not_ stuck in my ways," he muttered. "I happen to find myself to be quite adaptable."

Was he honestly _sulking?_ Was it wrong that she somehow found that _adorable_ , albeit disturbing? Not that she would tell him that, of course.

"Since you've been doing such a good job of taking your medicine-" He turned to face her. "-We should probably see how your brain is doing." Her hands glowed a gentle green. "May I?"

Rather than sit, he bent his head down so she could reach up. Her hands traced the sides of his head, feeling for the chakra, tracing his limbic system. She smiled widely. "You're improving rapidly." Her chakra probed deeper. "I'm going to reduce the swelling a bit for you now..."

He was watching her intently as she concentrated. She didn't realize at first that he was leaning forward, until a strand of his hair brushed her shoulder. When she looked up at him, his gaze smoldered, and she became self-conscious of how close they were standing to each other. His chakra felt warm, like a bonfire... Not malevolent like she had always felt before. Madara made a deep humming noise as she soothed the swelling in his brain. She fought the urge to ruffle his hair.

Unbidden, she remembered how soft his hair was when she had touched it the other day. Her fingers itched to touch it again, even as she bit her lip in slight embarrassment. Then, another image flashed before her mind: Madara, hands firm on her shoulders, the fascinated expression on his face when his gaze lowered to her... Sakura's face _burned._ Her hands jerked back from him, her chakra withdrawing. How could she have forgotten so quickly about last night's humiliation?! His laughter still rang in her ears, and she fought an urge to cover her chest, even though she was fully clothed now. She looked up at him in sudden horror, knowing full well it was only a matter of time before his mockery began again.

But to her surprise, he wasn't looking at her. Instead, he was gathering up the bowl and shedding his armor, sealing both away. She breathed a sigh of relief.

"Let us be off," he waved her over before spinning on his heel, walking alongside her. Sakura smiled, appreciating once again how much easier it was to move without the rods in her. "There is a village not far from here. We will stop there to stock up on supplies. We won't be staying long."

Sakura felt a leap of excitement, along with apprehension. Now was her opportunity! Once they got to the village, she could find a way to pass along a message to Konoha so they would know where she was and that Madara was alive. She wondered if she could attach a scrap of her clothing to a letter, to give them a hint on how to follow them—

Quickly, aware that Madara could probably determine her thoughts if he looked too closely at her face, Sakura schooled her expression into one of neutrality. Despite looking ahead, Madara walked closely beside her, not allowing her to fall even an inch behind him. Seriously, what was it with his compulsion to not let her, or possibly anyone, see his back?! Even if she tried to, she had a feeling he'd kill her six ways til Sunday before she got even remotely close to stabbing him in it.

She shook her head. Not that she would even _think_ of doing that now. Not after he had just saved her life.

 _Which he had endangered in the first place!_ her Inner self responded.

...Still, what was up with him? After deriding her for being so weak, why did he save her? She glanced over at him, wondering what was going on in his head.

He was...different. Different from the stories, different from the way he was during the war. He was almost thoughtful at times... far less hateful than he'd been. Her eyes widened. _'Less hateful.'_ Was this because her treatment was working? Was the Curse of Hatred fading from him?! A shaky smile. If it was, then—

"What are you staring at?" Madara rumbled. His head didn't turn.

"O-oh!" Sakura blushed at how obvious she had been. "I-uhh... I was wondering, wouldn't it be easier if I... walked behind you instead...? So I wouldn't stumble into you so much?" It was the lamest thing she could think of saying, since she had not once stumbled into him.

"I won't turn my back on you."

"Am I that much of a threat?" Sakura knew she wasn't, but she honestly wanted to know why.

"No; any good shinobi knows it is foolish to turn their back on anyone."

 _Ahh, so it_ was _just common shinobi sense._ At the thought, she felt a little self-conscious. She had always gotten so tired of seeing Naruto's and Sasuke's backs, had gotten so obsessed with the thought of being in front of them and in the lead someday... but was that pride overriding prudence? Was her own position, behind them, the place where they were most vulnerable, actually the real position of power? And more importantly, was that her teammates' way of telling her that they trusted her to protect them, rather than being overprotective themselves?

"I think I know something about that," she murmured, doubting her last thought, "considering I'm usually watching someone else's back."

"You envy them because you lack their power," Madara spoke knowingly. "You were the odd man, or rather _woman,_ out on a team of prodigies — teammates you could never hope to catch up to."

"But I tried to catch up to them anyway," she said bitterly. "Because I didn't want to be useless. I wanted to pull my weight on the team and not be a burden to them anymore." She really shouldn't be telling him her weakness this way. But then, he probably already knew. He was perceptive that way.

"With such uneven levels of power, it would be impossible for you _not_ to be a burden. The stronger are always expected to protect the weaker, since the weaker have no chance against a stronger foe."

"I know that," she mumbled dejectedly, remembering how Naruto and Sasuke had fought Madara himself toe-to-toe, while she cringed in the background, maybe healing people a little if she was lucky. She had been nothing but a speck before them, or... what had Madara called it? 'A puny ant in the presence of gods.' Something like that.

But then she remembered Madara falling unconscious on top of her. That moment of his victory, and he had fallen anyway — all because of a little hypodermic syringe in his ankle. The great and mighty god, felled by an unworthy ant beneath his feet. The thought made her smile.

 _Maybe he should keep underestimating me. I might take him by surprise._

Madara narrowed his eyes at her smile.

* * *

An hour later, Sakura was lost in her own thoughts. She hadn't given the snakes last night much consideration, but now that she let it sink in, it spelled _very_ bad news.

Orochimaru was alive. That meant that either Sasuke failed to kill him... or else someone had revived him.

Sakura shuddered. If he was back... Then the world was in even more danger than she thought. Just Madara alone was bad, but Orochimaru... Unlike Madara, Orochimaru didn't have any higher (if misplaced) ideals. He didn't want world peace. He just wanted to have _fun_. And not wholesome fun, oh no... She shivered. How many years had he been kidnapping children to experiment on?

And now, with the Fourth Great Ninja War over, there was sure to be a new generation of orphans. New victims for Orochimaru.

Sakura felt sick. When she got to this village, no matter what—

"Ahhh, here we are."

Before she could finish her thought, they reached a clearing in the trees, and the village appeared right before them.

Sakura felt as though she had stepped out of a dream. Ahead of her, filled with alive, bustling, _awake_ people, was an actual village! She hadn't realized until right then just how isolated she had felt, with Madara as her only company. Despite knowing that the Infinite Tsukuyomi had ended, she had still felt as if she were alone, one of the only people conscious in the world. But now, here was proof she wasn't.

The sights, sounds, and smells of food and people made her eyes water. She started to take a step forward.

"Not so fast."

Madara's hand landed on her shoulder. Casually, he spun her around to look at him. Despite the ease of his movements, his face was dark. He fixed her with an unnerving stare. Had Madara always been this tall? He seemed to tower over her, or perhaps she was shrinking into herself. Sakura felt her skin grow clammy. This dangerous aura of his was more like the way he had been on the battlefield. It had been a few days since he had been this way in her presence, and now that she was used Madara's more relaxed attitude, the sudden change was jarring. What had she done to provoke him?

Then she realized: Madara wasn't even using his chakra to scare her. He could do this to her with a single sinister look.

"This is a civilian village we're about to enter," Madara told her with deceptive lightness. His eye flicked over once.

Sakura chanced a glance but refused to give Madara her back. He was right. She didn't see any sign of shinobi. No guards, no headbands nor weapons...

"They will sell wares here for the traveling shinobi, but, as you know, a civilian village means they are not adept at defending themselves. I'm sure I don't have to tell you what will happen if you even think of trying to escape me here."

Sakura's insides were cold. Oh, she heard his implied threat loud and clear. It would be all too easy for him to slaughter every inhabitant in this village. They wouldn't be able to put up any resistance against him, and she wouldn't be able to protect them. And he would do it to make a point to her, to punish her in a way he knew would weigh on her conscience. And knowing him, he'd probably kill her too afterwards. She didn't doubt him for a moment.

Just like that, her convictions that his Curse of Hatred was receding were dashed. She had been foolish to let her guard down.

Sakura swallowed hard before nodding. "Yes."

"Do as I say, and there will be no trouble. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Madara."

"Good. Now, transform yourself into someone suitable."

With that, he raised his fingers, and there was a poof of smoke. When the smoke cleared, a tall man with striking green eyes (one with an eyepatch covering it) and long, unruly blond hair was staring back at her. Instead of the black high-collared clothes he was truly wearing, his disguise showed him garbed in a long, dark blue kimono.

In spite of her fear, Sakura almost scoffed. _Of course. Even when he's in disguise, he's still so full of himself that he keeps his good looks. Such a peacock, always having to stand out!_ Not that his disguise would have fooled her in the least. He was still _Madara_ , with that same haughtiness and proud demeanor he always had. No henge could ever hide that about him. _If he really wanted to blend in,_ she thought, _he'd have to change his crappy personality first and foremost._

How had she ever thought she could get along with him? Sakura felt a surge of bitter disappointment.

Madara was waiting. With a sigh, she transformed herself too.

Brown hair, brown eyes, plain face. Simple civilian clothes, also in brown. She had already seen that at least half the population had the same features. No one would notice her.

With that, Madara took her hand and dragged her into the village.

* * *

Sakura had been hoping to be able to scout out the village. She'd hoped that maybe they had a messenger bird system established here, and maybe she would be able to send some sort of message to Konoha, even a scrap of her own clothing and maybe Madara and Orochimaru's names hastily scrawled. After all, she knew she wouldn't have time to pen a proper message.

But Madara wouldn't let her out of his grasp. He held her hand with almost bruising strength. Sakura's skin was still tender from the receiver wound. She wished he would ease up, but she didn't dare struggle in his hold. It would do no good. It just might provoke him into attacking the village.

But as of now... He wasn't hurting anyone. Sakura readied herself for that to change: if it did, she would definitely try to attack him with all her strength. Though... _Ugh, that's right. I have no chakra._ Madara wasn't attacking anyone right now. Maybe she should thank her lucky stars and just go along with him. For now.

The smells of cooking meat and spices wafted through the air. There was drumming coming from the marketplace a few blocks over. Sakura noticed a sushi place on the other side of the street, and her mouth salivated. She looked up at Madara, but he didn't seem to notice the sushi place. _Didn't he mention inarizushi and sake earlier?_ she wondered.

People bustled all around her, taking no notice of them. Tears came to Sakura's eyes. They were alive, safe, _normal._ As long as she could pacify Madara into leaving the village unharmed, then at least this small corner of the world was safe. Not imprisoned in dreamland nor taken in death.

She sniffled and wiped some stray tears away with her free hand.

Madara watched her out of the corner of his left eye. His lips pursed in annoyance. _Couldn't she have waited until she was alone before displaying her emotions so openly?_

Soon enough, they entered a general store. Madara selected pots, pans, soap, and other sundries, and Sakura tried unsuccessfully to sneak off to the women's hygiene section. Instead, she was forced to endure Madara watching her, eyes narrowing as he figured out what the smell of blood had been on her the other day. Sakura didn't think she had ever been more embarrassed in her entire life.

"Wait a second..." she thought out loud as they wandered to the check-out line. "How are we going to pay for this stuff?" Her eyes widened; she had been so distracted by her thoughts that she hadn't realized just how much stuff they had gathered. There was at least 20,000 yen's worth of wares here!

Madara raised a blond eyebrow at her. "Don't you carry money with you, girl?"

Sakura blinked at him for a moment before baring her teeth. "As a matter of fact, I _do_ , but since you were so _kind_ as to divest me of all my possessions when we fought that one time—"

"Oh yes," Madara smiled, remembering, "that time in the cherry blossom orchard."

"Yes, that time! You were so kind as to lighten my load for me, weren't you?" Ripped and scattered her scrolls all over creation was more like it. "Anyway, I'm afraid we're S.O.L. on my end," Sakura finished with a little more sarcasm than she had intended. Damnit, she was scared of what he would do if she pushed him too far, but he just infuriated her so damn much!

Rather than take offense, Madara laughed easily. "Not to worry! There are benefits to hailing from the prestigious Uchiha clan, after all. I'll take care of it."

"Wha...?" Sakura was dumbfounded. Had Madara just offered to _pay_ for their groceries? And from the way he said it, did this mean he had access to the Uchiha's funds?! But how was that possible? Only Sasuke should be able to... With growing confusion, she walked with him up to the cashier. She was relieved to notice that there was almost no one else in the store. What if this guy recognized Madara's family name, despite being a civilian? This could easily end in disaster.

Madara placed the wares on the counter and waited patiently as the cashier rung them up. As the cashier reached out to take his money, Madara met his eyes.

Sharingan swirled to life, and Sakura watched as the cashier's face seemed to dim, as if a light inside of him had been turned off. He reached out a hand, accepted nothing, and then dropped the same nothing inside the register, closing it with a snap. He smiled mechanically. "Thank you for shopping with us!"

"Have a nice day," Madara murmured, taking the grocery bags in one hand and leading Sakura out the door with the other.

* * *

"Wait a minute! You, you just stole from that store!"

"Is there a problem with that?"

Sakura gaped. "Um, yeah! You just STOLE from that STORE!" Off Madara's unimpressed glance, she waved her arms frantically. "Weren't you raised with any manners?!"

Madara stopped, causing her to lurch slightly. He looked at her with annoyance. Sakura immediately regretted her outburst.

"I'm a _ninja_ , remember. We both are." He resumed walking. "And I suggest you reevaluate your priorities, _Sakura_." He hissed her name. "Would you prefer I stole from the store, or that I slaughtered the man inside and then took whatever I desired?"

Sakura's mouth snapped shut. "Good point."

"Now, then, where to next?" he asked almost pleasantly.

After this, at Sakura's meek request, they stopped by an herb shop. Madara had been tempted to force them to continue onwards, since he now knew exactly which herbs to harvest for his concoction, but Sakura insisted that she needed something for herself. Under Madara's scrutiny, she selected some Valerian powder. When the annoying man inevitably asked what it was for, Sakura huffed that it was for "women's needs". Despite her own embarrassment, she decided it was worth it when Madara's ears turned a delightful shade of pink. Aside from muttering that she would need to consume it in his presence to assure him it wasn't poison she was planning to slip him, he let it go.

Next was the weapons store. Madara refused to let her select any weapons. He did, however, allow her to stock up on scrolls and obtain a medic's pouch and canteen. By now, her guilt at Madara's underhanded payment methods was almost gone: if having supplies on hand helped her keep him in check, then it was worth it.

Last but not least, they stopped at a clothing store.

Sakura nearly moaned with delight as she fingered the clean fabrics. She quickly chose a red top, black shorts, pink skirt, black pants, long-sleeved black shirt, and elbow protectors. She took her time gathering her clothes, noting that Madara had gone just the slightest bit away from her. He was perusing the men's section of clothing.

Discreetly, Sakura reached under her henge, finding the edge of her tattered shirt. As quietly as she could, she tore three scraps from it, then slipped them into her pocket. If she could drop them in the village somehow, maybe close to the entrance...

She looked around. Only one thing left...

She was heading over to the final section when she bumped into Madara. They both looked startled. Sakura tried to conceal the guilty look on her face.

"So, what are you getting here?" she tried to cover for herself.

Madara held up his bare hand. "Another pair of gloves. How about you?"

Sakura bit her lip. "...Also gloves." She noticed that they had indeed grabbed matching pairs of black gloves.

"Oh?" Madara's lips quirked. "Are you copying me?"

And just like that, Sakura completely forgot about tiptoeing around him. "No!" she griped as a vein popped in her forehead. "I wore gloves long before I ever met you! It's not like you're the only person in the world who's allowed to wear gloves! _Shannaro!"_

"It was just a question, Sakura." Madara gazed down at her through half-lidded eyes. "No need to get upset."

Sakura growled in response.

"So easily riled up. Hmph..."

Sakura took a deep breath. She would _not_ let him get to her.

"... _Copy cat_."

If he had been anyone else, Sakura would have dope-slapped him.

* * *

She didn't know whether to feel sad or relieved when they finally left the village. On the one hand, she didn't want to go back to being isolated, away from people and warmth. But on the other hand, she couldn't relax knowing their safety could be in danger as long as Madara was there.

She discreetly dropped one of the shreds of her shirt near the gate's entrance, just as she had planned. Madara gave no indication of having noticed. For that, she felt a brief surge of triumph.

They continued in the woods for a fair distance before Madara told her they would set up camp for the night. He'd had the foresight to get them both sleeping bags. Sakura could hardly wait to feel the delicious warmth enveloping her. But firstly, she still needed to bathe.

"Again?" Madara chastised when she announced her intentions. "Wasn't getting sick twice already enough for you? Wait until tomorrow morning if you know what's good for you."

Sakura contemplated for a minute. "I guess you're right." Internally, Madara sighed in relief that the girl had finally learned something. "I'll just meditate for a while and then turn in early-"

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

When Sakura looked at him blankly, he tossed the bottle of Valerian root into her hands.

"You still need to drink this in front of me, to show me it isn't a poison."

"Oh. Is that all?" Sakura took out her new canteen, ready to do just that.

"There is a river in this direction. I will accompany you."

As Madara led her down to the stream, something vital occurred to Sakura. No matter where they were in the forest, Madara always made sure to have them by a water source. It was smart from a camping perspective, but maybe she could use that to her advantage. She had no idea where this river led, but there was a good chance it would eventually reach a settlement of some kind.

Hope bloomed in her. If she could send a note down the river, then wherever it went, she could warn the inhabitants and request the information be sent to Konoha.

She smiled. Madara might have prevented her from finding a messenger bird center today in the village, but she was by no means out of ideas.

They filled their canteens at the river, and Sakura made a drink with the Valerian root, which she happily drank in front of Madara. Feeling a renewed sense of calm and peace, she slipped into lotus position and began to meditate. After all, it would help her fill the seal faster. She had been meditating for almost an hour when she noticed that Madara wasn't with her anymore. He must have left silently at some point. She opened her eyes, cautiously looking for him, so he wouldn't see her scrawl her note on one of her new scrolls. Standing up, she saw him.

He was sitting by the riverside, skipping rocks again.

* * *

The next morning, Madara woke her quite roughly.

"What is it?" she mumbled.

"We'll be going back to the village shortly," he told her. "But first, you need to change your outfit."

Sakura looked at him funny. Why was it so imperative that she change? She wasn't exactly complaining, since she'd wanted to wear the clean clothes since the moment she'd set eyes on them, but why did Madara care so much?

He took a step back. "You'll need to strip off those clothes and give them to me. Right now."

At that, her eyes bugged. "Um... You mean right now? Change in front of you?"

Madara nodded impatiently.

"Ohh..." Sakura turned beet red. "W-well, what if I go take a bath right now and then give you my old clothes as soon as I'm done?"

Madara regarded her for a moment. "That is acceptable, but you need to get a move-on."

"OK!" She stumbled out of her sleeping bag, grabbing the scroll that now stored her new clothes. In the pocket of the pants she was wearing was her note, tied closed with one of the scraps of her shirt, stuffed inside her Valerian root bottle. She rushed off to the river before Madara could say anything else.

* * *

 _Has he gone nuts?!_ Sakura's mortified thoughts flowed as she bathed in the river. _I mean, I know I showed him more than I meant to the other night, but does he think I'll just give him a peep show whenever he wants?!_ True, he hadn't sounded particularly perverted when he demanded it, but she had her dignity as a woman, dammit!

Subtly, she took the bottle from her pants pocket, looking around to make sure he wasn't there to see her. Then, she gently set it loose in the stream.

"Good luck," she whispered. The bottle bobbled gently away, until it was out of sight.

Sakura sighed, feeling some of her hope drain away. As soon as she changed into her new clothes, she wouldn't be able to leave scraps behind anymore. Madara would notice if parts of her new clothes were torn or missing, and then he would find out what she was up to. She had one scrap left, and she would try one final time to send out a message today. After that, until she could reach a messenger bird, she wouldn't be able to leave clues behind for her friends anymore.

 _If her friends were even trying to find her._

Sakura tried to shake off the feeling that they had abandoned her. There was no reason to think they had. But no one had seen Madara take her. As far as they knew, she had just disappeared from the battlefield—

The back of her neck prickled suddenly. She turned around. "Ehhh?!"

Madara was sitting on a nearby log, casually reading. He hadn't been there a minute ago. As she watched, he turned a page of his book, but didn't look up.

Sakura's eyes were wide with horror. As she turned away, anger quickly set in. _How dare he!_ _He thinks he can just sit there like it's nothing while I'm bathing in privacy!? Shannaro!_

However, she couldn't very well go over there and confront the Uchiha, not without showing him a whole lot more of herself than she wanted to. He'd already seen her breasts the other night, though he strangely hadn't teased her about it since then. Her eyebrows pinched together as she turned away from him, plotting.

 _How can I make him go away?!_ A tick in her eyebrow. _Making him go away isn't good enough anymore!_ _I need to utterly humiliate him! Just like he did to me, only worse! But how?!_

And just like that, Naruto came to mind, and an evil smile stole across her face.

 _Despite his feelings for Mito-sama, he doesn't seem like the type to be distracted by sexual things,_ she mused. _He didn't get all flustered when he saw me half-naked, and it doesn't really seem like he's trying to peek at me now._ _All his yammering on about battle this and Infinite Tsukuyomi that... he's obsessed with war and peace. And Shodai-sama. Heck, before he confessed to liking Mito-sama, I would have believed he'd wanted Shodai-sama that way, since he was the only person he spoke of with any respect. And his idea of foreplay is "dancing" or beating the heck out of each other._ She snorted. _I bet he'd freak out if anyone ever tried to seduce him..._

"Let's see... How does Naruto do it again...? Oh yeah!" She wove hand signs and, before she could second-guess herself, executed the jutsu.

 _POOF! POOF!_

"Madara-sama~! I found you~."

"Ohayo, Madara-kun~!"

Madara looked up and blanched.

There were two naked girls suddenly fawning over him. He was well-aware that they were clones, but still... One had deep red hair pinned up in buns, and a diamond seal on her forehead. She was staring at him adoringly with dark grey eyes. The other one, a brunette with dark, earthy eyes and tanned skin, swept her long hair in front of her face playfully. Both had overly large assets.

Sakura heard a low thump. Madara's book had slipped through his gloved fingers.

"Ohhh, he's shy~!"

Madara's eyes were narrowed, as if he were trying to decide who to katon first.

"Why don't you show off your wood jutsu for him, Hashi-chan? He might like that~"

"Oooh look, now he's _blushing!_ ~"

As the two girls sat on his lap, cooing over him and stroking his spiky hair, Madara glared at her.

"What are you doing?!" his voice was little more than a growl.

They stared at each other for a long moment, the girls fawning, Madara looking angrier by the minute yet sitting stock still, and Sakura blushing and trying to hide herself by burrowing down into the river's mud, peering sheepishly at him over her shoulder.

"...It worked on a God," Sakura finally pouted.

Madara's eyes twitched. Then Susanoo abruptly manifested around him, dispelling the girls with a twin _POP!_ Susanoo hightailed it out of there with Madara inside, hands over its giant skeletal face. She could _swear_ his Susanoo had a nosebleed and was whimpering like a little girl.

With that, Sakura cheerfully returned to her bathing. She doubted he would disturb her again.

* * *

"I cannot believe you stooped so low! Was that supposed to make me dance?!" Madara glowered at her.

"Nooo... It was to teach you a lesson for spying on me while I was bathing!"

Sakura was wearing her new outfit, one that reminded her strongly of her medic's outfit back in Konoha. She tossed him her torn uniform from the war, and he quickly set it ablaze until there were only ashes left. He still looked put out as he finished.

"I wasn't spying on you! I was making sure you didn't run away. Your chakra is abominably low!"

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

He gave her a sly look. "Don't you wish now that I'd left my will embedded in you?"

"No! That's even worse. Then, it's like then you can…" she shuddered, "… _feel_ me bathing!"

"…I ought to kill you right now."

"Fine! But then who would show you the sushi restaurant she found? No one, that's who! Oh well, it's not like you actually want any warm, freshly made inarizushi, now is it?"

"…Show me."

* * *

Madara sighed heartily as he tucked in to his meal. _Ahhh, the taste of warm inarizushi._ It had been ages since he'd eaten his favorite food. He hated to admit it, but Sakura had made him quite happy by finding this place. He must have been busy calculating his grocery list and listening for mentions of the war and the Infinite Tsukuyomi. While he hadn't heard anything about the latter, it sounded like the town was preparing a festival in a few days' time to celebrate the end of the war. This surprised him. As civilians, this wasn't something they ought have been concerned with. He wondered if the entire world as they knew it was celebrating.

Regardless, he didn't plan on sticking around to see the celebrations. By the time they happened, he and Sakura would be completely isolated. She wouldn't be learning of any unwanted information that way.

He turned his attention back to his medic. "Before you pulled that ridiculous stunt, didn't it give you pause than I am well over a hundred years old?"

Sakura's cheeks were puffed out with food, making her resemble a chipmunk. She swallowed quickly, suddenly aware of her sloppiness. But she couldn't help it! It was just so good to finally eat real food! She motioned to Madara with her free hand. "You have, what, the body of a 25-year-old?" _And the maturity level of a 13-year-old boy, or younger…_ she thought but didn't say. "Anyway, you can't be worse than Jiraiya." She shuddered, remembering one time when she'd caught the man trying to spy on her in the bathhouse ( _un_ successfully). Needless to say, Tsunade had _not_ been happy to hear about it. And Jiraiya had been even less happy when the two of them caught up to him.

"Jiraiya…?"

"He was one of the Sannin. He's dead now." When Madara didn't say anything, she found herself continuing. "He died a few months ago, when he was on a mission to infiltrate the Akatsuki. Naruto trained under him for three years… He was devastated when he died."

"You said this Jiraiya was a Sannin…?"

"Yes! He was legendary, along with two others. His teammates were Tsunade-shishou and Orochimaru."

"The snake fanatic from the other night."

"Yeah. He's called the Snake Sannin in some parts."

"And you say he should have been dead, by Sasuke's hands?"

Sakura took a sip of her sake before she answered. "Yeah. It's a long story, but Sasuke left the village a few years ago. He wanted to get stronger so he could kill his brother, and he felt Konoha was holding him back. So he went to Orochimaru willingly. A few months before Jiraiya-sama's death, we heard that Sasuke had killed him."

"Interesting."

Sakura shivered. "He's done some really vile things. He experiments on children, trying to test them for new powers. When we were thirteen, he branded Sasuke with a cursed seal. It erodes willpower but gives abnormally large spikes in chakra. A few years ago, during the Chuunin Exams, he lured Sandaime-sama to a rooftop and he-" She broke off, eyes widening.

"Hmm?"

 _Oh my god. Why didn't I realize this sooner?_ "Madara, who resurrected you? Do you have any idea?"

"I met him briefly." Madara refilled their cups as he spoke. "His name was Kabuto. Why do you ask?"

"During the war, we had to fight a lot of friends and old enemies. They had been revived with the Impure World Resurrection Technique. They were all hostiles, including you... Except for four exceptions."

"The four previous Hokage," Madara realized, catching on to her thinking. "They were revived as allies to you all."

"Exactly. That would point to two different summoners, with two different objectives. If Kabuto revived you... then..."

"You're thinking that Orochimaru revived the Hokage?"

"Yes, but it makes no sense. Why would Orochimaru want the Hokage to come and help the Ninja Alliance? But I don't know of anyone else who knows that technique. Orochimaru learned it illegally, then taught it to Kabuto."

"It was Tobirama who invented that abominable jutsu. He'd had it sealed away."

"Obviously not well enough, for him to be resurrected _twice_ by it," Sakura muttered.

"What?" Madara's eyes lit up. "Did you say 'twice'?"

"Yeah. Orochimaru resurrected him the first time to fight Sandaime-sama, and I'm guessing he was the one to resurrect him again during the war."

Madara looked as if Christmas had come early. "Well, that is appropriate justice! He never should have invented that wretched technique in the first place! Hah! Burned by his own firecracker! If only he weren't so proud, he might have had the grace to be ashamed!" He shook his head, snorting with laughter. "Oh well. If I ever see him again, I shall be sure to rub it in."

Sakura couldn't help it. The gleeful expression on Madara's face made her smile. As well as the realization that despite his bluster about being over a hundred years old, he was still a giant kid at heart.

Somehow, the conversation shifted to her earlier shenanigans.

"...That looked nothing like Mito," Madara insisted.

"What?" Sakura scoffed. "Are you serious?"

Madara - yes, THE Uchiha Madara - gave her an _awkward_ look. "You captured her hair perfectly, but you gave her _your_ face instead of her own."

" _...What?!_ " She didn't know what mortified her more: that she had done that (though accidentally) or that Madara had noticed. She was supposed to embarrass _him_ with that stunt, not herself! At that, her defensiveness flared. "Well, what do you expect?! It's not as if I actually know what Mito-sama looked like!"

"You seemed to have captured Hashirama well enough," he grumbled.

"Easy to do, when you stare at a giant stone monument of him everyday," she said breezily.

"You know, he wanted to put _my_ face up there initially..."

"At least you have a statue at the Final Valley! Some of us don't have statues of ourselves anywhere at all."

Madara stared deeper into his sake cup.

"Well, anyway," Sakura couldn't resist needling him. "You looked pretty funny running off like that."

Madara glared at her.

"Don't give me that look!" she teased. "You're lucky it wasn't Naruto doing it. If he had, you might not have run away." She wiggled her eyebrows. "You might have actually enjoyed it."

"…And who says I didn't?"

The smooth way he said it had her gaping at him, while her insides were doing flips. He looked at her without a hint of a blush. Probably because she went red enough for both of them.

Her sake cup shattered.

 _"You PERV_ _!"_

* * *

 **A/N 2:** Oh yah! I meant to say Happy Easter to y'all! And in honor of Easter... I'm gonna tell you about a little compulsion of mine. In each chapter of this story save the first one, I always include a word that is a synonym or otherwise related to the word "mottled". I guess you could call it an 'Easter egg'? ;) Sorta like how Alfred Hitchcock makes a cameo in each of his works... I love author signatures! :D Anyway, Happy Easter my friends, and I'll see you next chapter!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N:** Woot woot! Over a hundred reviews on this story! I'm so happy! :) Thank you everyone.

Quick question: would you guys rather I post review responses before or after the chapter? Thank you!

 _Patience is key_ \- Aww, thank you. :) My pleasure!  
 _KellytheKid_ \- Definitely considered whether he'd have her on a leash of some kind. Decided not to, though that could have been kind of kinky! :D I don't want to give too much away, but let's just say Madara has more than one method for keeping her by his side.  
 _Guest_ \- Aww thank you! You're gonna make me blush. :)  
 _JigokuShoujosRevenge_ \- I considered keeping Hashirama as a man for the Sexy no Jutsu, but thought Sakura might pass out from nosebleed if she transformed her clone into a naked man (come to think of it, that would have been hilarious!). But yeah, Girl!Hashi is kind of adorable. :D And I totally agree, Madara's monitoring is necessary from his side of things, but poor Sakura probably doesn't know whether or when he's going to try to troll her again. XD  
 _Rhearenee_ \- Thank goodness! In that case, happy to have given you a longer chapter. :D As for the Sexy no Jutsu, I got inspired by an utterly brilliant and hilarious fanfic on here called "How Sakura Haruno won the war" by JinxKatKazama. I highly recommend it! I seriously wish it were a multi-chapter fic, because the premise is pretty hot~! And yes, it's almost like Madara has a lowered sense of self-preservation when it comes to embarrassing matters... Hashirama must have been a good influence on him. :D  
 _AFangirlLife_ \- Thank you XD  
 _shadow miko_ \- Thank you :) Their growing familiarity is probably the funnest part to write. I get the feeling Madara would be a fun conversationalist if he weren't so hellbent on world domination. :D  
 _zulfi_ \- Thank you for encouraging me, my friend. :) I won't worry so much about the length.  
 _kilau_ \- Thank you. :) I think Sakura would probably start off trying to be polite, but honestly, Madara would try anyone's patience! He brings out her true self. XD  
 _sometimeschill_ \- Thank you! :D  
 _Blissangel91494_ \- Oh god, I could picture it! Naruto would start yelling about Madara bewitching or hypnotizing Sakura, Sasuke would wanna fight him on principle, and Kakashi would be sweat-dropping somewhere in the background. Or else giggling into his dirty book and freaking out everyone even more! ^_^ I love it! (I wonder what Sai's nickname for Madara would be. Maybe Relic-kun.). And Yamato would be running around screaming as Madara tries to take a bite out of his flesh!  
 _Zombie Reine_ \- Well, Madara might deny it if questioned, but... ;) That might have been his favorite part of the whole henge.  
 _Sakura Hatsu_ \- Yep, Sasuke and Madara are both arses! Sometimes I honestly have trouble deciding who's the bigger one in the manga. Yes, he definitely got out-weirded by Sakura when she decided to smell his chakra. XD This for a guy who likes to lick his own blood on the battlefield! I love how eccentric he is, though his sadism and masochism worry me somewhat. Sakura as a pink monkey, I love it! That is the cutest description of her. :)  
 _Guest_ \- Aww, thank you. :) And YES, Sakura is definitely getting tired of putting up with Madara's weirdness and intensity. He's more intense than Team 7 most of the time, and that's saying something!  
 _Sunny ver 2.0_ \- Thank you. Gotta agree, MadaSaku is one hell of a cute couple :D  
 _Yami no Emi_ \- Thank you! :)  
 _Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl_ \- Charming or a right bastard, take your pick. ;) Yes, her seal completely burned away the infections, so she (probably) won't have complications. But repeatedly draining her seal might cause problems later... I almost put in a hair-touching scene I'd written earlier, but decided it'll be better for another chapter. :D Don't worry, she'll seize the hair- err, day at some point! And yes, something is definitely about to go down with Sakura's clues-leaving. Loved Sakura's pervy reaction to Naruto's Sexy no Jutsu on Kaguya. XD Kaguya wasn't really turned on, right, just taken by surprise? But of course Sakura would want to claim she wasn't alone in her embarrassing reactions, lol. Yeah, it was great when Killer Bee no-selled Naruto's jutsu... But then later he just had to reveal his fetish about older women's breasts. I loved Eight Tails' response to that! Yay, I'm glad you like Metisse too! :D I don't have many friends who do, so I'm glad to share it with you. :) "Pray" is another really pretty one.  
 _Rebeca13_ \- Thank you for that, I always love your reviews. :) Hehe, he's definitely becoming more human, whether he means to or not! Knowing him, he'd probably rather remain on his lofty perch of superiority. Count on Sakura to knock him down a few pegs! ;) And yes, I picture Sakura's face as a cross between horror, embarrassment, and righteous anger (all to hide her feeling kinda flattered, of course) when Madara implied he liked her face on Mito. She definitely had white eyes of doom in that scene. XD When he was removing the stakes, it was definitely meant to be painful, borderline inappropriate, sensual, and also strangely considerate coming from him (come to think of it, that kind of describes him as a whole). Count on Madara to make everything complicated. ;) _  
_ _Weird Lady -_ Yes, there will definitely be MadaSaku as a couple in this story! I'm not sure what endgame means, but I'll tell you in advance, there will be two endings to this story. At least one will feature them together in the end. I don't want to spoil more than that! Thank you for the chocolate! :D _  
_ _Mokki Takashi_ \- Thank you, and Happy Belated Birthday! :D

Thank you again, everyone! ~S.S.

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER NINE-

 **-/-**

Despite Sakura's outburst, they were able to finish their meal in relative peace.

As Madara used his Sharingan once again for less-than-honorable purposes, Sakura pretended to gather herself, and as subtly as possible she dropped a note under the table, behind one of the table legs and out of Madara's view. It was addressed to 'Konohagakure no Sato' and within contained a message and the last scrap of her old clothes. She could only hope that when the restaurant owners cleaned later that evening, they would find her note and perhaps pass it on. Really, anyone could find it, and as long as they read the message within, then at least the world had a heads up. _'Important: One Uchiha Madara and one Orochimaru have been confirmed ALIVE. Please alert the Shinobi Alliance ASAP.'_

She was already standing and waiting for Madara when he finished "paying", and she left with him without a backward glance.

* * *

When they left the village, she expected more forest. They followed another stream and wound their way through trees and shrubs until the forest faded, and the air became dry. The terrain began to slope upwards. Before long, they were standing at the foot of a mountain.

Sakura stared in awe. Now that they were above the trees, she could see mountains all around them, undulating from the earth like waves, stretching out beyond the forest as far as the eye could see. They continued to follow the river up that first mountain, until it grew smaller and smaller, and finally only damp rocks showed where it began. And then they ascended even beyond that. She could hear birds calling, the faraway rushing of the stream... The wind blew softly through their hair, through Sakura's short pink strands and Madara's unruly raven mane, and cooled the sweat on their foreheads.

It was during their climb up the mountain that Sakura discovered, much to her chagrin, that Madara was developing a sense of humor. Not his usual "ho-ho-ho, I'm going to kill you" comments, but actual, honest-to-goodness lighthearted quips. At her expense, of course. She imagined that he _might_ have been trying to reclaim his lost dignity from the Sexy no Jutsu incident earlier that day:

"It occurs to me that you're benefitting from this arrangement more than I am," he murmured. "You may thank me if you wish."

Sakura was appropriately baffled. "…Arrangement? I'm benefitting… _what?_ "

"It has not escaped my notice that you have… hmm," he leered, "particular _tendencies_ concerning my kinsman, and by being in my presence, you must be satisfying those tendencies somewhat." He ran a hand vainly through his hair.

"…You've lost me."

"You stalk Sasuke. Therefore, you stalk Uchiha." He spread his hands, as if it were obvious. "And since _I_ am Uchiha-"

 _"W-what?!_ Me, a stalker?!" Sakura looked scandalized. " _Says you!_ You're the one who had Shodai-sama's face implanted onto you like an extra-large pectoral! You obsessive lunatic!"

Madara bristled; he hadn't been expecting her to have such a swift comeback. Also, she had no idea that _Kabuto_ and not himself had been responsible for the implant. Not that he had minded having it... "Hmph. You're just jealous that your chest is underdeveloped, like your ninjutsu skills." He was rewarded by Sakura looking livid and embarrassed at the same time. She raised a fist and waved it at him.

"They're called chest-bindings, asshole! Try them sometime!"

"But I have already seen you without your chest bindings on, remember?" he adopted a silky tone, watching her redden further.

"I'm trying very hard to forget that!"

He stroked his chin. "…You know, in spite of your shortcomings there, you could be a rather striking woman, Sakura… _if_ you were not so busy stalking my second cousin, four times removed."

"GAAAH!"

He would have been perfectly satisfied leaving it there, now that he had succeeded in flustering her and regaining the upper hand in their interactions (or so his superiority complex led him to believe), but naturally Sakura had questions for him once she calmed down.

"Wait a minute... How do you know your exact relation to Sasuke?" _Wasn't he kind of after your time?_ _Or do you know some special genealogical jutsu you could teach me?!_ The doctor in her suddenly got very excited; this could help with identifying orphans, especially after the war!

"I was making an educated guess."

"...Oh."

A raptor screamed overhead. Madara's lips quirked at her obvious disappointment.

"I was the oldest of five," he elaborated. "My four brothers passed on without getting married or having children of their own, considering three of them were children _themselves_ when they died." He paused. "I myself never passed on my lineage. My father's and mother's siblings died during the wars too, and the only first cousin I had was killed during them as well, also without reproducing. So, by the time of Konoha's founding, I had no siblings, parents, uncles, aunts, nor first cousins. I had distant relations at best, even though I was our clan leader."

 _Is that why he didn't stay?_ Sakura wondered. _There was no one left who he truly knew or loved... except for Shodai-sama._

"So at closest, Sasuke might have a direct familial connection to me through one of my grandparents, who each had siblings with surviving lineages. I was making a guess about how many generations are between us. And of course our clan was much larger than that in those days, so our relation might be even more distant…"

"You say that, but from how similar you and Sasuke look, you two might as well be brothers," Sakura muttered. "Are all you Uchiha this identically good-looking and crazy?"

"We don't always inbreed, if that's what you're implying. We just kill off all the blond Uchiha, so the rest of us will look the same. It's a family tradition."

 _Had he just said-_

"… _What?!"_ Sakura's face was frozen in silent horror.

"Kidding!" Madara muffled his snickers. Seeing her get all riled up amused him more than he could have imagined. "I'm _joking_. Really."

"You're… joking. As in… you made a joke." Sakura blinked, bewildered. "Well, that's just… _Uchihatastic_."

Madara roared with laughter.

 _He's insane,_ Sakura realized.

 _She just admitted out loud that I am 'good-looking',_ Madara thought gleefully.

* * *

Hours later, they had somehow gotten on the subject of the Will Manifestations he had bound her with. It was then that Sakura learned that Madara was picking up sarcasm as well.

"I just don't understand why you put those receivers in me in the first place… Well, actually, OK I sorta do, but why'd you leave them in?!" she was ranting. "You knew they were going to kill me, right?! Why not just control me with Sharingan or limit my chakra or something?" Madara didn't say anything; he was watching her with an unreadable expression. Sakura cringed. "I mean, I'm grateful you took them out, but before that, it was almost like you _wanted_ to watch me die a slow and painful death…"

"Of course I was expecting you to die." Madara rolled his eyes. "Because _you're_ such a delicate flower."

Sakura spun around, fists clenched. "What did you say?!"

"Relax," he huffed. "I was complimenting you."

"Oh…" she blinked. "Well, thank you."

"Don't get used to it."

"RRGH! You infuriating-"

* * *

After Sakura's latest outburst, they continued along in silence. At least, until Sakura broke it:

"Madara?" she murmured, not looking at him.

"Yes, Sakura?"

"Shut up."

It said a lot about their familiarity with each other that he didn't threaten her for her disrespect, and that she didn't expect him to.

Madara's eyes narrowed. "…But I was not speaking."

 _"Exactly."_

They continued walking for a beat. Then Madara chuckled.

"…You do realize that you're just giving me more ammunition to use against you, don't you?"

* * *

Madara had to admit, he was moderately impressed. He'd expected the girl to have far less stamina than this. It wasn't anything against Sakura personally; he had just noticed quite clearly that the current generation was far weaker than his own. Perhaps peace had made them soft. A true shinobi was tireless, unceasing, forever resisting the world's attempts to grind him into dust. With the sun beating down on them and the air steadily growing thinner, he would have expected her to at least stumble, if not slow down. But she never did. She kept pace in front of him, never allowing him to nip at her heels. Using her perfect chakra control, she maintained her bearing, sprinting through slippery rocks and treacherous dust, never once losing her footing.

He had them stop in the late afternoon for a quick break. They were almost at their destination for the night, but he wanted to take the opportunity to make another herbal concoction, as well as let Sakura heal him again. He had been feeling strangely _better_ since she had started her treatment.

"So, what exactly does your treatment do long-term?" he asked as he mixed the herbs together in his wooden bowl.

Sakura had been removing her black gloves so she could treat him. She paused as she considered how to explain. "Consuming the herbs the way you are will help regulate your brain chemistry. It'll help make the chakra in your brain easier for your body to manage. That, combined with my reducing the swelling in your hypothalamus, will help you sleep better, eat better, have a more even disposition, calmer moods, lessen any headaches you might get..." _And just maybe, it'll help free you from your Curse of Hatred. I can't give up yet!_

"And what are the drawbacks?" he wondered, stopping her rambling.

"There aren't any. Just that maybe you won't be used to feeling this good."

"...And that's a drawback?"

"There are some people who don't like to feel good. Some people become addicted to pain, or rather, to the chemicals that accompany it, endorphins and the like. I hope for your sake that you don't have that struggle, or this will be a lot harder for you."

He shook his head. "All that knowledge you store in that large forehead of yours is truly remarkable."

"Thank youu... what?" She went from pleasant to moody in a heartbeat. "Did you just say something smart about my forehead?!"

He sighed. "On second thought, you think too much. Count on you and your overly large forehead to twist a compliment." He had to hide a smirk at how quickly she took umbrage.

"Oh yeah?!" she snarled. "You arrogant warmonger! How about you and your _overly large eye-bags!"_

They glared at each other, heat crackling between their eyes.

"…Come over here," Sakura finally growled. "I need to heal your brain some more."

Madara flicked her forehead in response.

* * *

Shortly after their healing session, Sakura stalked off into the woods to use the bathroom. He didn't follow her. Right now, he didn't need to.

He didn't imagine she'd be sending any more notes. After all, they were nowhere near civilization now. And she'd already sent two explicit messages, so she might figure it was enough...

Madara chuckled, reaching into his mantle, and withdrew the note she had dropped at the restaurant today, along with the Valerian root bottle, and two lone scraps of her uniform. He looked at them critically.

She was clever to leave these, but sloppy. Oh well. He knew he could punish her for this, but why not leave her under the illusion that she had somehow managed to get her message out? It might make her lower her guard more around him, lull her into a false sense of security.

Just the same, he would have Manako keep watch out to make sure she didn't try to leave any more messages. If she didn't stop soon, well… He supposed he'd have to remind her just who she was dealing with. He was sure she hadn't forgotten her fear of him by _that_ much, even if she hid it with her quips. A coping strategy, most likely. That she was trying to leave notes warning the world about him in the first place showed she hadn't forgotten.

A moment later, he dropped the ashes of her notes and clothes into the soil behind him. He kicked dirt over the ashes. Then he calmly waited for her to return.

* * *

Within the hour, they had arrived at their destination.

"A cabin?"

It was dilapidated and missing half its roof, but it had an area for cooking, a "living room" of sorts, and an actual bed! Sakura looked out over the mountain. It was nearing sunset, and the sky was stained orange. The mountains were gleaming in the light, and if she looked far enough, she swore she could see the edge of the sea. There were no clouds right now; hopefully tonight would be a clear night and she would be able to see the stars.

"Yes. We will stay here for tonight, and tomorrow we will reach our final destination."

Sakura sighed in deep contentment.

Madara sat down on one of the chairs in the living room and began unsealing the groceries from their scrolls. With a squeal of delight, Sakura leaped onto the bed.

A second later she was coughing as a cloud of mold emanated from the mattress. She scowled. Of course. There was no roof over the bedroom part of the cabin, so the mattress would have been subject to even more weathering. Now the question was, since they were only staying the night, was it worth it to flip and clean the mattress or not?

Sakura decided that it was.

She went out to the living room where Madara was and began gathering her supplies. Most she sealed into her scrolls and tucked away, but she kept out her canteen and the rubbing alcohol. She wouldn't be able to spare much of either, but that would be OK. She left the mattress to breathe once she was finished.

Madara was waiting for her on the couch with an expectant look on his face. She sat at his urgings.

"So, I believe I have more questions for you about this world peace dream of yours."

Sakura immediately sat up straighter. "Yes?"

"If not everyone will be able to use healing jutsu, then not everyone will be able to put your dream into practice. Is this not true?"

Sakura nodded. "It seems that way at first glance, doesn't it? But medical ninjutsu isn't just about its physical applications. It's a belief system as well, in a way. Do you know of the Hippocratic Oath?"

"No."

"It's a very long oath, and it's not so much an oath as a set of morals and principles. One such moral that we uphold as medics is this: either help or do not harm the patient. Another is that we're not treating a statistic or a disease, but rather a human being, and we are to always be mindful of the circumstances in which they enter into our care. Another still is that we do not play god."

Madara frowned at the last one.

"There are an entire set of principles a medic must abide by. Those principles are every bit as important as treatment itself. I think it would be humbling if more shinobi were required to learn those principles and possibly abide by them themselves. Or at least some of them. A shinobi is not supposed to let their humanity interfere with their mission... but what if the mission is compassion for others? Compassion can lead to peace, if you extend that compassion to as many people as possible. And by being a medic, we're taught to prioritize others' needs. So then, taking it to its logical conclusion... What if _everyone_ were trained to prioritize each others' needs to this extent? This can create harmony."

Madara was leaning forward, interest piqued. "You still haven't told me how healing jutsu themselves can accomplish this," he said, but his eyes betrayed his comprehension of what she was saying.

"You're right. I'll show you." She walked to him and knelt in front of him, so that he loomed above her on the couch. Slowly she removed her gloves, pulling each fingertip one by one, and then she laid them neatly on the small coffee table beside them. "Kunai, please?"

Madara hesitated. "Why?"

Sakura sighed and held out her hand, palm up. "I need to make a shallow wound here, about three inches long. You can do it yourself if you'd like." She could have used the kunai she'd hidden away or even her chakra scalpels, but she didn't want Madara to know about anything extra that she had up her sleeves.

Madara drew out a kunai. Swiftly, he cut her palm, and a red line bloomed.

"Watch carefully." Sakura held up two fingers, and they began to glow green. Madara's Sharingan activated.

"Take a careful look at the chakra in my fingers. How is it different from other chakra? Namely, fighting chakra?"

Madara looked for a long moment, trying to decipher what made it different. "...The Yin and Yang ratios," he finally murmured.

"Yes. The key is to synchronize them with your patient's body. Certain types of injuries or diseases will target the Yin and Yang of the body in different measures. Your job is to compensate for it, in order to halt the disease's advance, and then to stimulate the body's natural healing process. I imagine that as a master of the Rinnegan, you're adept at using both kinds of release, right?" Madara nodded. "Keep a close eye; I'll do this slowly so you can see."

Sakura lowered the glowing fingers to her wound. Slowly, making sure that Madara could clearly see the chakra in her fingertips, she dragged her fingers across the cut. The tissues slowly knitted back together. Madara didn't look away, and Sakura progressed steadily, allowing him to observe her process. Once she was finished, she found he was already looking back at her face.

"So first, I'll teach you the hand signs. Then, raise your own fingers, and concentrate your chakra in them. You'll need to remove your gloves first."

He did so, laying his own pair atop hers. Then, after following her hand signs, he held up his index and middle fingers, calling his chakra to them as instructed.

"Now, try to play around with the Yin and Yang ratios. Go to both extremes. See how each chakra feels a bit different."

Madara complied. His face appeared blank, but she could see his pupil constrict and dilate as he observed and questioned. She felt a small swelling of excitement. She was teaching him! One of the most legendary shinobi ever to live, and little old her was teaching him medical ninjutsu.

"...I see," he said, finally. His fingers flickered out. He didn't look tired at all, and she knew that his chakra control was probably very good. But she also knew how quickly exhaustion could set in when one first learned these techniques.

"The thing is, we usually practice these techniques on fish, but I honestly believe that the best way to learn this is to practice on yourself first," she said. "Then that way, you can understand the feeling behind the medical ninjutsu. Please make two shallow cuts on your hand. You will heal one, and I will heal the other concurrently. Try to match your chakra to the sensations in your hand. You'll probably find it easier to grasp when you feel how I do it."

He made the cuts, and they each started to heal one. Madara pressed the chakra in his fingertips to the wound and began searching for the perfect balance of Yin and Yang. He tried to rub the chakra over the wound, but nothing happened.

"You have to let the chakra interact with the body itself, Madara. Try to sense the flow of chakra in the body, especially where it is right near the wound, and try to feel the wound itself with your chakra."

He reached out with his chakra.

"That's it. Now, try to feel the wound. Trace it. Don't think of it so physically - it's more of an _intention_. Let your intention guide your chakra."

He concentrated on his wound, visualizing it in his mind, looking at every jagged part of it. As he familiarized himself with the small cut, his chakra slowly began to branch out from his fingertips. Now it was soaking into his skin, outlining the wound in greenish light. Or in his case, more of a turquoise blue. He wasn't quite healing yet.

"Now, imagine that you're knitting the skin cells back together. It will help you focus your intention in the technique. If you can, use your eyesight to see the torn cells. Then it will be easier to imagine mending them. I used a microscope for a better view when I first began practicing these techniques."

Madara put his face very close to his hand. With his fine eyesight, he could see the shreds of skin more closely, see the parts that ought to have been whole. A bead of sweat rolled down his face. Slowly, as he concentrated, the chakra surrounding his wound began to sputter, and a small corner of it slowly began to pinch closed. Madara was so startled that he lost his concentration, and the chakra flickered out once more.

"You're doing pretty good. Much better than I did on my first try. It's not easy to learn how to do this."

At Sakura's words, Madara's head shot up. There was a gleam in his eye. "I will perfect this," he muttered, more to himself than her. As Sakura watched, his chakra flickered on, and he tackled his wound with a new vengeance. Unfortunately, due to his intense focus, the edges of the wound began to widen slightly, spilling more blood.

"Try not to attack it with your will so much," Sakura instructed. "You're trying to force it, because in your battle style, you dominate your opponents. But this wound is not an opponent. And you will not dominate it. What you're doing is working in _harmony_ with the body to heal it. Feel what the body wants to do naturally, and then help it along."

She watched him for a long moment, giving pointers where it seemed helpful, but otherwise remaining silent for now. The only way he would learn, would be through practice. And who knew... if he practiced for long enough, maybe he would be able to understand the harmony required for world peace just a little bit better.

When she told him that she would be heading outside to gather herbs and roots for dinner, he barely looked up.

* * *

When she came back, Madara was waiting for her in the kitchen. She stole a glance at the palm of his hand; his wound was halfway closed. She was secretly impressed.

"If you wouldn't mind taking a small bite of each ingredient..." he murmured.

Sakura complied readily, and when he saw that none of the ingredients were poisonous, he stood aside to let her work on dinner. When she glanced up, she saw he was back to healing his wound, or trying to. His focus had improved, as had his Yin-Yang ratio. Now all that was left was for him to learn to harmonize his chakra with the wound's.

"What made you imagine that this would be a path to world peace?" he asked her without looking up.

Sakura contemplated for a long moment. "It was Lady Tsunade," she said at last.

"Hashirama's granddaughter... Did she learn her medical ninjutsu from Hashirama?"

"Not to my knowledge. I was told that she created several of the jutsu herself. Maybe she watched Shodai-sama, but I'm not sure. He inspired her, definitely."

"Hashirama always wanted to unite the world somehow. He believed that by making the village, he would take a step in that direction. It would seem his dream has lived on..." Madara was silent, contemplative for a moment. "He never mentioned anything about medicine changing the world. Was this his granddaughter's dream?"

"Yes, and no. Her story inspired me, but the idea is my own. You see, Tsunade-shishou was ahead of her time. She advocated to Sandaime-sama that each combat team include a trained medic, in order to increase success and survival rates in the field. For her, it was a personal reason that made her so passionate about it. She had a little brother."

Madara's mouth went dry. _Hashirama had a grandson too?_

"He was twelve years old when he died," Sakura whispered, "running into an explosive trap in an active combat zone. Losing him devastated Tsunade-shishou. That was when she began advocating for the inclusion of medic-nins in all four-man squads. Sometime after her brother's death, she fell in love with a man named Dan. He was killed during the Second War. He died in Tsunade-shishou's arms. And for a long time afterwards, she stopped following her dreams."

 _So... Hashirama's granddaughter understands loss too. And like me, she became disillusioned with the world._ When he had met her during the war, he never would have imagined that she had once been in such a place. _What gave her hope to continue again?_

"...Until she met Naruto." It was almost as though Sakura could read his thoughts. She smiled slightly. "Naruto has a habit of changing everyone. Believe it! He convinced her to return to the village and become Hokage, and sometime after that, I became her apprentice."

"And so, did she realize her dreams afterwards?" Madara pondered aloud.

"There's been a rise in medic-nins in our village since she became Hokage. Maybe having a strong medic-nin for a Hokage has been a good role model for some of us. She certainly is a role model to me. She is the greatest teacher I've ever had." Sadness rent her heart as she realized just how far away from home she really was, from the people she considered to be as close as family... She pushed the sadness back down, not letting Madara see it.

"While there have been improvements, a system of one medic-nin per squad hasn't been fully implemented yet. After all, most shinobi don't want to learn about healing when they could be learning about fighting. That's why most of us became shinobi, isn't it? For love of a good fight. But what good does that do when there's no one left to fight, because everyone has already killed each other? Battlefields with no survivors? Would you be surprised to find such a thing exists?" She suddenly remembered who she was talking to. When she looked over at Madara, her voice was soft. "Did you see many of those in your day?"

"Why do you think I wanted to enact the Moon's Eye Plan?" Madara murmured, not directly answering her question. "Too many people want to play 'shinobi'."

"Tsunade-sama learned medical ninjutsu so she could bring her precious people back from the battlefield alive... and that was why I learned it too, initially. But I admit that my dream for peace is a lot more selfish than that."

"Selfish? Selfish how?"

"Do you know what it's like to have the power to save someone and have them die in your hands anyway? To try desperately to save someone's life, only to fail?" Sakura's voice was hoarse, choked suddenly. "And then, to do it again and again, to keep trying over and over, never quite knowing whether you'll succeed or not, despite your best intentions?" She looked away. "I'm selfish in this, but I want everyone to understand that pain. If a person could feel that way, it might make them detest war and violence. To have to hold the repercussions and live with the consequences every single day... To never be able to forget the people you couldn't save..."

She hadn't realized her eyes were watering until Madara spoke.

"You know, you can cry if you need to, Sakura. I won't mind."

"You- what?" Sakura looked up at him, bewildered by his soft tone. "You're OK with me crying?"

"Of course." He spread his hands wide. "Tears are _delicious._ " He licked his lips. "...Though Senju tears are the most delicious of all."

Sakura gaped at his audacity.

"Just for that, I will not cry in your presence!" She glared at him full-force, wiping at her eyes furiously. "Not one measly tear! I hope you _STARVE!_ "

"What? I just wanted you to know your tears wouldn't go to waste." He kept the innocent look on his face, while inside he cheered. _That's one way to stop her crying._

"RRRGH!"

"Sakura… So easily riled up."

"Anyway," she sniffed, though her eyes were bone-dry now, "there's more to my vision than just healing jutsus. There's also therapy. My plan for... for when I went home after the war, was... I was going to begin a special new wing in the hospital for war orphans. A specialized trauma center treating children, not only for their physical injuries, but to help them process the grief of losing loved ones, or the terror or PTSD of what they witnessed. That is healing too, even if the wounds aren't visible in the same way a cut or a broken bone is."

"But a shinobi must be ready to accept these eventualities. It is the way of the world. What good will any of this do when such loss is inevitable?"

"They're just _kids_. And it's not just the grief that they need to process. Some of those kids leave the war with nothing left - no home, no people who love them. By having this trauma center, maybe it'll help them to know that they're not totally alone in the world, that there's someone out there who cares for them, even when they have nothing else. That's my purpose."

 _I... I see. What could have happened if Izuna or myself had known such a person in our youths? Could we have known peace? Could we have had more hope? Somehow I think so... Somehow, listening to you reminds me of Hashirama and the dreams we once held... Haruno Sakura... You are truly a remarkable woman._

"Hmph. While I can see your point, it would only weaken them in the long term if you teach them to wear their feelings on their sleeves. Emotions can be deadly to a shinobi if it interferes with their work. It makes them an easy target."

"Madara, I would argue that the unprocessed and repressed feelings are more dangerous than the ones you openly acknowledge. At least, if you know your feelings, then you might have a better idea of why you act the way you do."

"But what about those who know their feelings perfectly well, and still act as they do, causing others harm?"

She sighed. "From what I've learned, about Nagato, about Itachi, about Zabuza and Haku, about even Sasori... Most of them were just very lonely deep down inside. They were alone when they were much too young to be. It's time we as a society take responsibility for that. That's why I would wish that everyone would become a healer, so that with those values, an entire village could offer support if even _one_ of their members was suffering." When Madara stared silently at her, she shrugged.

"It's worth a shot."

* * *

They dropped the conversation shortly after, and Sakura continued preparing dinner. Madara had lapsed into silence and was obsessively working on healing his wounds. Sakura smiled a little as she watched him.

The stove hadn't been used in some time. She had to twist the dials repeatedly, trying to start the pilot light. Eventually she gave up and went in search of matches... not realizing that the silent hiss of gas continued even as she searched.

She came back to the stove a few minutes later; sadly the matches had been ruined by the mold permeating the small cabin. She did, however, find a piece of quartz and a file. She brought them over before the stove and after a brief hesitation, began striking the stone, hoping to make a spark.

"You know," Madara looked up at the chipping noise, "I could just start that."

"No, it's OK," Sakura said determinedly. "I don't want to interrupt-"

 _FWOOOOSH!_

"WHOA!"

She had made a spark, indeed, and the effect was instantaneous. The gasoline saturating the air ignited, and the small blast caught Sakura in the face, making her stumble backwards. Shakily she reached up to turn off the stove, even as her other hand flew up to cover the burn.

Vaguely, she heard a chair topple over, and then Madara was next to her on the floor. "Let me see."

"I-it's OK, it's noth-"

"I _said-_ " He sighed in annoyance as he dragged her hand from her face, immediately focusing on the burn. A large part of her cheek was quickly turning dark red. It didn't look serious, but it most definitely looked painful.

Sakura hushed as Madara put his hand directly on her face. He was so close to her that she swore she could almost feel his eyelashes brushing her temple. His hair was definitely touching her shoulder. His eye was intent on her; somehow, his scrutiny made the burn on her face feel even hotter.

"Hold still," he murmured, his lips tightening in a tell-tale sign of concentration. And then, healing chakra flooded Sakura's face.

The jutsu was much cruder than hers, but his chakra still soothed her. _He_ was soothing her. She felt the burn begin to recede along the edges as he rested his large hand firmly on her face.

She sat quietly, much longer than she might have normally, as she let Madara try to heal her. In the end, he could only heal half the burn. When he finally pulled his hand away, Sakura waved a palm over her cheek, and the burn disappeared instantly. But Madara stayed crouched next to her, face still close to hers. His eye held an almost eager look.

"You're picking it up very quickly," Sakura praised him. "Your chakra control is impressive, and with more practice, you'll probably be able to pick up a lot more. You're a fast learner."

Madara practically beamed at her acknowledgment. His eye-bags crinkled ever so slightly.

"Does it hurt?" he questioned. "Your face is still red."

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up even more. "I-it's OK. It doesn't hurt anymore." Madara had lifted his hand back to her face, trying to flood her skin with his newly learned healing chakra.

He frowned. "I don't feel any more damage." His thumb idly began to rub her cheekbone, sending her heart into a mad flurry.

"Yeah, I'm all healed now. T-thank you, Madara." _What is this feeling?!_

* * *

Madara fixed the stove shortly afterward, lighting it with no problem and no more explosions. Soon enough, their dinner was bubbling away. As expected, when they served themselves later, Madara sat for a long moment, watching Sakura to see if the food was poisoned. They were eating from the same pot, so he doubted that she could have somehow poisoned him without also poisoning herself. And she was incapable of doing that.

Finally, he ate too, relaxing at the warmth of the stew.

After dinner, Sakura made short work of the dishes before meandering outside. It was dark already, and the stars were out. The moon had yet to rise, and the constellations in the sky were more vivid than usual.

She was contemplating the sheer vastness of the heavens when a floorboard shifted near her, and suddenly there was warmth pressed lightly into her side. Madara had sat down beside her and was staring up at the stars as well.

"You couldn't have chosen a better place for stargazing," Sakura told him. "Up here, in the mountains, with no village lights to obscure the view..."

"It was like this when I was a child," Madara reminisced. "That was back before the villages were founded. At night time, it was imperative to keep light to a minimum, lest you attract the attention of enemies. But someone was always awake to guard our camp." He waved a hand, though Sakura couldn't see it in the dark. "Seeing the stars this way was commonplace. When my brothers and I couldn't sleep, we would whisper stories to each other about them... Some we had heard, while others we made up. Of course, we were only children then..."

Sakura wanted to ask what stories they would tell. But she bit her tongue. She had heard something caressing Madara's voice like an undertone. It sounded like...nostalgia.

The legendary shinobi sighed deep in his throat and leaned his head back against the wood of the cabin. Sakura stayed silently next to him for several minutes. When she finally turned to say something, he could feel her breath warm his face.

"Do you miss them?"

 _What a stupid question,_ he could have scoffed. There were many rude or dismissive things he could have said, and it would have been completely in the ordinary for him. For once, though, he said none of those things.

"Always," he admitted instead.

Sakura turned more fully to face him. "Madara... If you had gone to the Infinite Dream world... What would yours have been?"

"I suppose..." he paused, "I would have seen my younger brothers, all alive and well, grown as strong warriors. I would be able to train with Izuna whenever I wished, because he would be with me still. The Senju would be somewhere far away from where we were... except perhaps for Hashirama. Perhaps we would be able to skip stones or spar with each other again. Perhaps... perhaps we would both have all our brothers, and we could live to adulthood being friends." He didn't know, of course. Those were only his guesses what he would see. The true magic of the Infinite Tsukuyomi was that it would find a person's truest, deepest desires, ones even he himself would not admit to. He believed fully that those were his desires, but how would he know without going to that dream world?

"Madara..." Sakura called his name, and he looked at her. His eye worked slightly better in the dark than hers, and he could see she was biting her lip. "When you gained the power of the Rinnegan... Did you ever consider reviving Izuna?"

He tensed. _Had he thought about it? He might have. It seemed so long ago when he had first awoken those eyes..._ "I- That is to say... The power of the Rinnegan can only be used once that way per bearer. Had I revived Izuna, I myself would not have lived. I would be trading my life for his."

"And...? Would you have done it?" _Did you love him enough to do that for him? Would you do it now with the one Rinnegan you have left, Madara?_

"I could not," he said firmly. "If I were to revive him, but then die myself... Then... I would no longer be here to protect him. The only way I could see myself reviving him into this wretched world, is if I were here to keep him safe."

Sakura was looking at him. He saw so many emotions on her face. Slowly, the judgment faded, and something like compassion took its place. "Because you're his big brother. Because you wouldn't want anything to happen to him ever again," she said softly.

 _Tobirama's blade, wet with blood-_

 _His brother's limp body, strength failing him-_

No. He wouldn't. He _couldn't_ let anything like that happen to Izuna again. Not his brother.

"And... what about you, Sakura?" he asked slowly. "What would your dream have been had you gone into the world I created?"

Sakura sighed. She knew he would ask her, but her answer still made her heart ache. "I would see Team 7 home in Konoha again. Sasuke and Naruto... They would be happy again. They would be _friends_ again. And then Team 7 could smile together... They would know that they had found a family in us, that they weren't alone anymore-"

"But what about you?"

"Me? I-I mean-"

"Surely you would imagine yourself married to Sasuke, would you not?"

"I- no- _yes_ \- I mean..." she sighed again. "I would like that very much, of course, but..."

"But what?" he asked.

"...But I have no way of knowing that _Sasuke_ would be happy with that. I don't think that's what he would ever want," she said in a whisper.

"So? It is _your_ dream. What would make _you_ happy in your dreams?"

But she shook her head and refused to answer about Sasuke. "I'd just be working at the hospital with the children, saving lives... The same thing I do now." _Or at least, the thing I was doing before the war began._

"Hm..." Madara didn't ask her any more questions. They sat out under the stars for what seemed like hours, each lost in their own thoughts and all the vastness of heaven.

"Sakura..."

Madara's voice was barely a murmur. Sakura turned her head to look at him.

Right before her eyes, Madara activated his Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. She saw the pinwheel spin to life from the normal Sharingan, until his special design radiated out in his fathomless gaze - Izuna's overlapping with Madara's to create new sight. Sakura caught her breath. It was _beautiful_ , and chilling. She knew that he was letting her see what he was doing, that he was allowing her an awareness, though not necessarily a choice, of what would come next.

"Yes, Madara?" she barely moved her lips as she answered.

Madara smiled almost kindly. "Goodnight."

A moment later, Sakura slumped forward into his arms.

* * *

 _He had actually put her to bed._

That was the first thought she awoke with the next morning, when she discovered herself on the moldy mattress, tucked securely into her sleeping bag. She wouldn't have figured Madara to be the gentlemanly type, but-

 _But why not?_ a part of her argued back. _He's not Sasuke. It's not good to compare the two so much. They're actually pretty different when you really look at them..._

The thought was vaguely uncomfortable to Sakura, most likely because it was right. Madara hadn't left her on a bench in the middle of the night. He had put her to bed like a decent person, even though the man did many things that were far from decent.

He also had an actual sense of humor. If she were being honest, he _had_ possessed one before yesterday, even if she wouldn't actually _admit_ it before yesterday... Sasuke, on the other hand, completely lacked any sense of humor, so there was that... Madara was also less standoffish than Sasuke, even if he was, maybe, more murderous... He was _almost_ approachable at times, plus he actually seemed proud of his former friendship with Shodai-sama instead of denying it, and he was somewhat gentlemanly and engaging, and-

Where was Madara, anyway?

Sakura scrambled to her feet, quickly sealing away her sleeping bag, and went off in search of Madara.

She found him in front of the cabin, completely packed and ready to go, idly watching the sky. He was wearing his crimson armor, and it shone in the sunlight. He must have polished it before she woke up.

On his wrist, peeking out in the space between his glove and the sleeve of his shirt, there was a cut.

It wasn't a very major cut, but as a medic, Sakura noticed these things. She wouldn't have pondered it too much, but then she noticed one on his other wrist too. Just what had he been doing this morning?

"Ready to go?" his deep tone greeted her. Sakura hurried back into the cabin to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything else. When she came back, Madara was stretching, bringing his hands evenly to rest on the ground in front of him as he kept his legs perfectly straight. His sleeves had ridden up a little, and she saw more cuts on his arms. What the-?!

"Heey, Madara, I couldn't help but notice-?"

"Hmm?" he looked up and saw where she was pointing. "Ahh. Yes."

"Do you need some help with them?" she offered, starting to take off a glove. "What happened?"

"I was practicing," Madara replied, waving her off. "Leave them. I will practice more once we reach our final destination."

"O-oh." Sakura's mouth snapped shut and she hastily replaced her glove. Madara was waiting, so she hurriedly set off with him, while her thoughts churned.

Had what she'd said to him yesterday really affected him so much? She didn't really picture Madara as the type to be so easily influenced. And yet, here he was, implying that he was trying to learn the rudimentary medical ninjutsu that she had taught him. Actually practicing on himself, clearly focusing and taking the time to... She shook her head. It was surreal. Maybe she'd just think of it as him learning first-aid skills to better take care of himself. Yeah. That sounded more like Madara.

She tried to ignore the fluttering in her stomach when she remembered his hand lingering on her face, his chakra seeping into her skin not to harm, but to heal. Or the way he had insistently asked what would have made _her_ happy in the dream world. If she didn't know any better...

She would say Madara was becoming a better person. Somehow, that made her smile.

* * *

"We will descend up ahead," Madara told her after a half hour of walking. "Mind your feet, as it will not be well-lit."

They had come to a nook between their mountain and the next one. Here, the rocked smushed together, and trees grew precariously on the steep slopes. There was a hole in the mountain's face, surrounded by boulders. Sakura stopped, taking a deep breath, and took one last look at the cloud-streaked sky, savoring the open feeling.

Then, she descended into the hole with Madara.

Sakura had been expecting a slippery passage down. Instead, she saw stairs once they were inside the hole. There was a torch lying on the ground near the entrance. Clearly it had been used before, because it was blackened on one end. Madara lit it.

As they went deeper, Sakura couldn't suppress a shiver. This tunnel reminded her way too much of Orochimaru, the way his lairs always lay underground, dimly lit, narrow passageways leading into snake pits and dead ends. The air was warm down here and smelled of minerals and good soil. Not a bad way to go, as underground passageways went.

Sakura unconsciously edged a little closer to Madara.

She would have laughed at herself if she could have. As if Madara was somehow a safe person for her... But she couldn't deny that she was more comfortable with him now. Orochimaru, on the other hand, still terrified her.

And she wondered again, _If he had been on the side of the Alliance, then why had he attacked them the other night? Had he been resurrected, then resurrected the Kage? Or had he been resurrected alongside the Kage by someone else and then somehow escaped from the reanimation jutsu like Madara had? She didn't know what to make of it. Unless..._

 _What if Orochimaru hadn't been attacking her that night? What if he were only there to attack Madara?_

She stiffened, even as she kept walking. That would make some amount of sense. Maybe Orochimaru had seen Madara as a threat the way the Shinobi Alliance had. If that were the case, and Orochimaru knew that Madara was alive, then maybe he would tell someone in the Leaf...

Sakura nearly smacked herself. This was _Orochimaru_ she was thinking about. Since when was he ever loyal to Konoha, or altruistic to anyone? If anything, Madara was probably a _better_ -intentioned person than Orochimaru.

If anything, she was probably an idiot, trying to figure out who was the lesser of two evils.

* * *

After a long period of silence and walking, the torch was dwindling, though Madara did not seem concerned. When the torch finally spluttered out, she expected Madara to do something, maybe pull out another torch from somewhere. But instead, he continued steadily walking through the darkness. She tried to keep pace with him. Tried not to show any sort of hesitation. But she tripped. It was inevitable. And of course, she grabbed Madara to steady herself.

She expected him to tense up. But instead, he mildly put a hand on her lower back and escorted her further through the gloom.

 _Very_ _gentlemanly indeed!_

Finally, they reached the end of the tunnel. There was a new torch waiting for them, and Madara lit it. Sakura gasped as the new space was illuminated.

Before them stood a cavernous room with a gaping pit in the center. A great and terrible tree flourished from the pit; it looked a great deal like the Divine Tree. Sakura tensed.

They were standing on a platform in the middle of the room. Aside from the pit, the tree, and the doorway on the far side of the room, the room was completely empty.

A few moths circled lazily just out of reach of the torch, not too near nor too far away from the burning flame. She could almost hear their fragile paper wings fluttering. Too far away, and they wouldn't feel the torch's warmth; too close, and they might get incinerated.

There was a slight draft coming from the pit up ahead, and it made the Uchiha's hair flutter in the slight breeze. The strands brushed lightly against her cheek.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Madara intoned. "The Mountains' Graveyard."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** After researching Mountains' Graveyard a bit more, I had to edit a little at the end of the last chapter. Nothing major, just the layout of the hideout. Also, I might edit this chapter a bit later. I feel like some parts are a bit overwritten but need a few days' rest to be able to read with a clearer head. I'm sorry about that. Just couldn't wait to upload it!

I'll be including the review responses at the end of the chapter and emboldening the reviewers' names. Thank you everyone!

~S.S.

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER TEN-

 **-/-**

Something seemed different in here. Madara supposed that his eyesight might be better now than it was 18 years ago. He would say he had better depth perception, but much to his own amusement, he was in the same predicament as before: blind in his right eye. So perhaps his rediscovered youth simply afforded him better eyesight. Still, he scanned the room carefully. His eye narrowed.

"So... Obito has done some renovating over the years."

The girl turned to look at him with a question in her eyes. He motioned grandly to the walls. "My cave was much _cruder_ back then… It seems Obito smoothed out some of the rough edges." Rather than their former cavernous look, the walls were smooth and refined. The design of the tailed beasts still lined the walls near the tree in the center of the room, though the Gedo Mazo was long gone. The tree was still growing, still flowering at its top. The torchlight caught on the drifts of pollen in the air and shone in Sakura's eyes.

His eyes snapped to the side. He remembered a passageway that led directly into this room. His Zetsu minions had retrieves Obito through that passage, before Madara had moved the giant rock in the way, sealing it off. It seemed that Obito had unsealed it again… Now there was a proper doorway.

Obito had removed all traces of Madara from the massive room. His throne, bed, and wall of weapons were missing. He hoped Obito had merely relocated his possessions; after all, his chair had been especially comfortable. Frowning, he walked closer to the edge of the pit and peered down. "I see... the well is deeper than before, too..."

Before his death, the water sustaining the tree was a mere 20 feet below where his throne once sat. But now, peering even a little into the pit, there was clearly a chasm. The root of the tree had grown much, much longer. It startled him to realize that, in spite of the changes, this cave still felt like home... And that he felt his home was in a _cave_ in the first place.

He heard Sakura's gasp. She was looking to one side, near the edge of the pit. She slipped away from his hold, running and dropping to her knees. He saw then what she had found.

A flak jacket, like the ones Konoha ninjas wore.

"Someone was here," she whispered. "But who? A prisoner of war?"

Madara honed in his senses. "I don't sense anyone else here. At least, no one who's alive."

Sakura stood and looked frantically over the edge. Madara came to stand by her, putting his hand on her lower back to steady her. Couldn't have her tumbling over the side now, could he?

He squinted down into the abyss. It seemed Obito had built stairs in the sides of the pit, leading down to the water's surface. He could make out Hashirama's clone, still locked into the tree trunk right above the water.

Without warning, his hand slid from Sakura's back and into her own hand. He tightened his grip. "Come with me."

"Wha-" Sakura had just enough time to tense up before they were jumping off the edge.

"AAAHHHHH!" her scream echoed in the chamber. In two seconds, it was over, and Madara had landed gracefully on the water's surface. Sakura had landed without breaking the surface, but she stumbled for a moment, visibly ruffled.

She glared at him and started to open her mouth, but he raised a finger smugly. "Ah! I did warn you…" he smirked.

She sniffed indignantly, but quickly she noticed the Hashirama clone they had landed near. "What?!" She gaped in unconcealed horror. "Is that-?"

"It was an experiment from my old age. I cultivated Hashirama's cells, and in turn, created the Zetsus from him. In a way, they are his children and my own creation as much as his brats with Mito. Obito used up my reserves, it seems…" His eyes wandered to the roots, both above and below the water's surface. "The limbs are empty. They used to hang like fruit from this offshoot of the Divine Tree…"

 _How unfortunate. With the absence of the White Zetsus, I will have to use the clone if I want to cultivate any more of Hashirama's cells. It will be a delicate process… though perhaps Sakura's medical knowledge could help._ Hashirama's clone was as hard as wood, whereas the Zetsus had possessed the ideal cellular composition for bodily implants. The Zetsus' cells could fuse well with a human body. He wasn't even sure he could yet make an implant as advanced as the one Kabuto had given him… Though, again, perhaps Sakura could help with that…

"You mean the White Zetsus?" Sakura slowly seemed to be recovering from her awestruck state.

"Yes. You fought them during the war, correct?"

"We did. But… you're mistaken when you say you cultivated them." She bit her lip immediately, abashed at correcting him.

"Hmm?" He raised an eyebrow. "Am I?" _What would she know about the White Zetsus' creation?_

"Black Zetsu told us that they were Kaguya's original victims, back when she first cast the Infinite Tsukuyomi, hundreds of generations ago," Sakura told him. "He said that she kept them alive within the Holy Tree, and they eventually became the White Zetsus she used in her armies."

 _So, that was why they were so perfect as limb transplants. They were once human, after all._

"Then… Black Zetsu was tricking me, even then…" Anger flashed through him as he thought of the ingrate. "He made me believe I had created White Zetsu from Hashirama's cells. He made me believe I had created _him_ from my very own will, but all along…"

"You might have enhanced the White Zetsus," Sakura piped up. He glanced at her. If he didn't know any better, he would say she was trying to make him feel better after having been played for a fool. "Or Obito might have. Who knows? As for Black Zetsu, he told us that he was Kaguya's son. She created him with her last burst of chakra before her sons sealed her away inside the moon."

Sakura's words troubled him. "...But it was the Ten Tails who was sealed inside the moon. That was what the tablet read… And I should know: I retrieved its body and summoned it here. The Gedo Mazo was its empty husk!" He motioned to the softly glowing flower atop the great stalk in the room.

"Black Zetsu altered the tablet. He told Naruto and Sasuke that. If Naruto's clone hadn't been keeping us safe when they confronted Black Zetsu and Kaguya, then we wouldn't have known this, but-" She shook the memory from her head and gave him a severe stare, one that translated despite the darkness of the pit. "Black Zetsu decided that, as Indra's descendents, the Uchiha were the key to making his plans come true. So he manipulated you through the stone tablet. One of the truths he revealed was that the Ten Tails wasn't just the Divine Tree rampaging to steal back its chakra – it was Kaguya _herself_ , merged with the Divine Tree, bearing all the power of the 'Ten Tails'. So really, the Ten Tailed Demon was the Rabbit Goddess."

"But then... weren't her sons aware that they had sealed away their own mother? Just where did they think she had gone?"

"I don't know. That's a good question, Madara."

He frowned at her attempt to patronize him.

"He altered the tablet hoping that someone would recreate the power of the Sage of Six Paths, because that was the key to bringing Kaguya back. He needed it to be the descendants of Indra and Asura specifically, and he knew that Indra continued to reincarnate within the Uchiha clan... And that wasn't all he did." She bit her lip again. "He said that he led Kabuto to your corpse. That was why you were resurrected."

Madara didn't say anything else. His eye flickered up to Hashirama's clone. Had Hashirama known that the tablet told lies? But Hashirama couldn't read the tablet. Nevertheless, he remembered their meeting there, that night when he had left Konoha and Hashirama behind forever. Would things have been different if he had listened to Hashirama? If he had stayed, instead of chasing a dream that was ultimately false?

The realization left a bitter taste in Madara's mouth. So much so that he didn't bother to warn Sakura. Instead he wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her close.

"Mada-"

And as he jumped straight up, flying forth from the pit, he relished in her screams once more.

They landed on the ground, and he wasted no time in taking her hand and leading her to the doorway he'd seen before. Like the gentleman he was, he opened it and escorted her through. _Let us see where this guides us next…_

* * *

Sakura's skin was tingling as they ascended the dim corridor. Somehow, in reaction to the torch downstairs, the other torches in the hideout had all lit themselves simultaneously, though they maintained a low level of light. A fire jutsu, perhaps? She shouldn't have been surprised.

Shadows flickered and danced on the walls and across her face. A chilly hint of breeze brushed across her arm, and it felt like fingers. She drew closer to Madara, close enough to feel his long hair press against the side of her face and shoulder, warm and strangely comforting. It made her want to bury her face into his mane and hide, let it shroud her from the world.

The corridor sloped upwards, possibly- hopefully- to another exit, and she followed him readily enough. It puzzled her, this willingness to follow Madara into this lion's den. Yet this place felt haunted, and Madara felt so alive by contrast...

There were a few rooms branching off from the corridor. When they came to the first one, she heard Madara make a slight noise of exclamation. _Could it have been... joy?_

They were in a bedroom of sorts. There was a strange bed, with pristine white sheets and comfy mattress… but the base of it was made of thick _roots_. Against the back wall of the room was a throne made of wood, as if carved from the trunk of a tree. The seat even looked like an actual stump. Was this Obito's wood jutsu, or Madara's?

Madara was standing near a wall of weapons, running his fingers over the handle of a huge scythe. When she got closer to him, she could see him smiling a little. Was this a sentimental weapon of his? She knew he loved his gunbai, but the kama seemed to be precious as well. She vaguely remembered reading about his exploits in the Warring Era, and his fight against Shodai… _That's right._ He used to wield the gunbai in tandem with his kama: defense and attack, chained together. _How much bloodier would the recent war have been if he'd brought his kama with him? If he had, he would have been the Grim Reaper incarnate..._ She winced. Madara must have heard, because he glanced at her over his shoulder. His good eye gleamed.

He perused the room for a few more moments before pulling them out, continuing them along. As they walked, he inhaled deeply. "Hmm. If I didn't know any better, I would say it smelled of snakes in here. Has Obito been having questionable houseguests over in my absence?"

Sakura stiffened. True, Madara had said they were the only ones here now, but... Could Orochimaru have found this place? And if so, would he be coming back?

"You told me that Black Zetsu led Kabuto to my corpse, correct?" Madara's jaw tightened. "It is likely he led him here, considering that I died here... I would imagine that Obito would have buried me someplace close-by. There was something snakelike in Kabuto's tone when I spoke with him. Subtle, but... as expected from one of Orochimaru's associates, I suppose."

"I heard that Kabuto had integrated Orochimaru's remains into himself," Sakura suddenly remembered. "Naruto said it was trying to take over his body..." She shuddered. "Kabuto is seriously evil. I honestly don't know who's more twisted: him or Orochimaru."

The next room they entered could have been an impromptu kitchen of sorts. It had a rudimentary set of burners, knives, bowls, and a preparation counter. But instead of dishes or food, Sakura saw that there were beakers, buckets, herbs, specimen jars, and materials that seemed like they were more for experiments. Her skin prickled; she didn't want to imagine the kinds of things that had been on that counter... But she knew she would need to eat sometime. How long would they be staying in this creepy hideout anyway? She was already eager to depart.

They were continuing their ascent when Madara stopped suddenly. She would swear that his hair was tingling.

"What-?"

"There is a doorway here," he spoke in a rough growl. "Obito has hidden something here. It is time we learned the rest of my apprentice's secrets."

He turned abruptly to the rock wall. Sakura looked for anything special about it, but nothing stood out. Madara, however, was tracing the wall with absolute certainty.

"Stand back," he told her, and she complied, not taking her eyes off him.

Madara's hands moved too quickly for Sakura to follow. He smashed his palm on the rock, and a ripple of chakra went out. Then, slowly, an invisible door in the rock wall began to open.

"Huh?! How did you-"

"Obito was my disciple, remember? I taught him these seals. I taught him _everything_ before I died."

They stepped into the room, holding their breaths.

It was worse than Sakura could have ever imagined.

 _Eyes._ An entire wall of Sharingan eyes, staring blankly, hollowly, forever preserved. Forever watching.

"So…" Madara began coldly, "Obito _did_ take part in the massacre of our clan. And from this evidence, it would seem he benefitted quite readily from it."

Sakura's body wobbled. A wave of nausea swept over her. She tried to turn her head away, but she was frozen, ensnared. Her back hit something hard as she stumbled. An operating table.

" _My own apprentice._ Did what I taught him count for nothing in his mind? Did his loyalty to our clan disappear?!" Madara's voice became mocking. "Rin, Rin, Rin, always Rin! Is that why he killed our family? For _her?!_ Because he thought he could bring her back through our spilled blood? I would spit on his corpse, if indeed he left one behind…"

"He didn't," Sakura whispered. Or she thought she did. Her thoughts weren't entirely clear anymore. "Kaguya killed him in another dimension, with her Ash-Bone Killing Jutsu."

"Hmph. Rewarded as a traitor deserves."

 _Just how many eyes, how many deceased, were here with them now in this room?_

"…With these eyes, Obito could have resurrected the entirety of the Uchiha clan." Was that her own voice saying this? "If he had, he would have won the war for sure. So why didn't he…?"

 _An army of Uchiha, each with undead Sharingan in their Edo Tensei eyes—Did Madara's body smell when he was resurrected at first? Did it bother him? Could he feel the maggots crawling beneath his flesh?—How could they have fought the returned deceased for so long—?_

"Hmm. Remember, Kabuto was merely an associate of his," Madara's deep voice broke into her racing thoughts, "and it was Kabuto who was in charge of the Impure World Resurrection jutsu. If Obito were smart, he would not have trusted him with all of his secrets." He looked at her. "It is highly probable that Kabuto did not know of this room at all, nor its contents. Perhaps, no one did. Until _we_ discovered it."

 _Those eyes…are all watching me._ She turned away.

On another wall was a bookshelf filled with scrolls. She went over, picking up the first one atop the pile. Or she tried to; twice, the scroll slipped through her fingers before she could finally hold it steadily to open it. It appeared to be blank, but she had this feeling—

"Madara…" she held up the scroll anxiously.

"Hmm?" Madara came to her side and took the scroll. He examined it carefully for a moment before laying it open on the operating table and making a series of unfamiliar hand signs. "Unseal."

There was a poof of smoke. Sakura was glad she hadn't eaten breakfast this morning. As it was, she tripped backward over her own feet and had to catch herself on a cabinet.

"I see," Madara muttered. "It has been a long time, but he looks the same as when he was a brat... Shimura Danzo, I believe?"

Danzo's corpse lay in front of them, a blindfold wrapped over his eyes. His skin was sunken and grey, and while the body didn't smell, it was clear that death was slowly claiming his features. Sakura didn't need to touch him to know that his skin would be cold as ice. One of his arms was missing, but that wasn't what made Sakura stare in alarm.

At the edge of his shoulder, his skin changed, becoming hardened and brittle and brown, just like…

"Mokuton," Madara muttered. "So, he was trying to unlock the power of the Rinnegan as well… unless…" He traced a finger over the corpse's bare shoulder. "Eyebrows?"

Sakura looked closer before feeling horrified and sick once more.

"So…" Madara frowned. "He had an implant of Hashirama here too. Did Kabuto do this to him?"

"It could have been Kabuto or Orochimaru, or something they worked on together," Sakura mused shakily. "Orochimaru was the one who originally got his hands on Shodai-sama's DNA… or his corpse. After all, he was the one who resurrected Shodai-sama, and ran those experiments—"

"Experiments, you say?"

Sakura blinked, horrified. _Captain Yamato…_ It took remembering Orochimaru's horrific experiments when he worked to recreate Shodai-sama's special powers to realize... to her knowledge, Captain Yamato still hadn't been found. Last she had heard, he had been captured by Kabuto. Which meant that Captain Yamato might be here somewhere!

"The flak jacket..." she whispered out loud. "It must be Captain Yamato's jacket that was by the edge of the pit." She gasped in horror. "What if they killed him?! What if—" Tears filled her eyes.

"Hmm? Who is this Captain Yamato?"

"He is one of our team captains." Sakura began to shake violently. _No, no please. Not him too, not another comrade!_ "Kakashi is our sensei, but Yamato temporarily took over for him this one time… He's a former experiment of Orochimaru's. He has Shodai-sama's wood release powers." Ordinarily she would have refrained from telling Madara such a thing, but at this point, Yamato might not even be alive anymore. "Kabuto captured him at the start of the war. No one's seen him since."

 _But it's been a week since Madara captured me,_ she realized. _Maybe... maybe someone's found him by now... Maybe he's..._

"Oh? If he has a rare mokuton, then he probably isn't dead yet. It would be terribly foolish of anyone to kill what is, for all intent and purposes, a living reincarnation of Hashirama's powers. At least, they would have taken advantage of his gifts before disposing of him."

"I think that was his flak jacket in that chamber," Sakura repeated blankly. Her head was too full suddenly.

"Who knows… I don't sense anyone living in the base with us. It's possible he might have sunk down into the waters below, but it's unlikely. Letting such a valuable specimen slip away would be very careless indeed. And anyway, it does no good to worry. You cannot do anything about it regardless."

 _That's true,_ Sakura wanted to say. _Whatever has happened, it's too late to change it now. Like these eyes..._ Sakura looked sadly at the drawers. _These contain the remnants of the Uchiha clan... And it reminds us that we cannot go back in time to stop the Massacre. There is no undoing what's already been done._ She gritted her teeth, trying to keep the tears at bay.

Madara stepped closer to one of the shelves. There were more scrolls on them. Sakura hastily turned away. No doubt they contained more bodies. She didn't want to see who they were.

As Madara busied himself with the scrolls, Sakura finally gathered her courage and looked more closely at the eyes on the wall.

They were all in the stage of their active Sharingan, she noticed. There were names under each specimen. Many of the drawers had two eyes in them, though some only had one. She began to read the names.

At first, none caught her eye. Until she saw 'Mikoto'.

"This is Sasuke-kun's mother…" she whispered to herself. Mikoto's drawer only had one eye in it. Sakura didn't know why this bothered her so deeply… She hadn't read any police reports, since she didn't have access to that kind of thing… But _why_ would Sasuke's mother only have one eye in her drawer? What would have happened to the other one? It could have been lost during the Uchiha Massacre, but… Somehow, this didn't sit right with Sakura.

She perused the drawers for several more minutes and didn't recognize any more names, until she came to the last of the macabre collection.

There was a smaller row of drawers. Sakura didn't know what it was about them… Maybe it was the golden writing on the front, instead of the usual black penmanship. But she could tell that there was something different about these eyes…

She stepped closer to examine them. The first one confused her utterly. No name. Just a single phrase: _"The real one."_ There was nothing inside. But on the front of the drawer was a drawing of a series of ripples. She frowned. The pattern reminded her a little of the Rinnegan. But what did it mean? The drawer was even slightly ajar, and a little of the preserving liquid had sloshed on the sides. They were still slightly damp.

It was as if someone had been here recently and taken what was inside.

Sakura felt cold. Though she strained her senses, she couldn't determine anyone but herself and Madara nearby. She moved on to the next drawer.

 _"Shisui the Teleporter,"_ she read. The drawer was empty. She squinted to see if she could spot anything inside. Nothing. In fact, the drawer didn't even have the usual murky preservation fluid. It was pristine, sterile.

Weirded out, Sakura moved on to the next drawer. _"Wicked-Eye Fugaku."_ Fugaku… Fugaku! Wasn't that Sasuke's dad?! Both eyes were there, in a normal Sharingan state. But there was a drawing on the front of the drawer under Fugaku's moniker: a thin three-bladed shuriken design, with a spot next to each arm. The pattern of threes, all in a circular design... Could this be the design of a Mangekyo Sharingan? Did this mean Fugaku had one?

 _"Itachi the Clan Killer."_ She felt a shiver go through her. Itachi's drawer was empty too, but there were still preservation fluid inside, and Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan was drawn on it. So that meant… Itachi's eyes had been here.

Next to Itachi's drawer was a final name: _"Sasuke the Avenger"_. Like Shisui's, his was empty and sterile.

"What's this?"

She turned to see Madara standing over a bucket off to one side. Knowing she would regret it, Sakura joined him to see what was inside. Yet another pair of eyes greeted her. And this time, Sakura felt a shock of recognition.

 _These eyes…_

There was a pattern in the center of the pupil, like a red six-petaled flower. Sakura hadn't seen this exact pattern before; after all, Sasuke's eyes were already losing their light when they had met near the Samurai Bridge. But she recognized the form they had become, the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan: it'd had the exact same pattern as this, except with Itachi's own pattern swirling in the middle.

"These were Sasuke's original eyes," she told Madara. "Which means that Obito was the one who transplanted Itachi's eyes into his. So Sasuke really did it after all."

"…I thought he would only do that if he were losing the light."

"He was. He was almost completely blind at one point…"

"And yet these have a Mangekyo design in them as clear as day. Why…?" It seemed Madara had a guess. Curiously, he scooped a little of the preserving liquid from the bowl and onto his gloved fingers. He rubbed the liquid and then brought it to his nose. That was when Sakura noticed: this liquid was thicker than the preserving fluid, and it had a whitish color to it.

"White Zetsu's cells…" Madara murmured, astonished. "So, Obito has discovered how to restore sight." With that, Madara reached up to his own face. There was a squelching noise, and Sakura blanched. An eye dropped from Madara's hand and into the bucket. _Madara's blind right eye._ But he hadn't made any sound of pain…

"Sakura… If you would…"

As if pulled by invisible threads, Sakura walked to Madara. He had one of Sasuke's eyes in his hand, and he raised it to his empty right eye socket. She didn't know why she felt the sudden need to give the eye a new home...

"Do the honors."

 _Don't do it!_ something screamed at her. But she had no choice. Her hands, trembling, rose to Madara's face. Cupping his cheek in one hand, her other swiped over his right eye socket, attaching Sasuke's optic nerves to his own.

There was a hiss, as the power of the eye met with that of its new owner. Sakura's hands fell suddenly, and a haze took over her brain. What had she done? And why did she feel this way?

She looked up at him questioningly. Had he put her in a trance of some sort? She flinched and looked around. Had the room itself?

Madara opened his right eye. A new design was forming.

The red flower was shrinking, and around it, three black tadpoles were forming, caging the flower in the center of it. Slowly, the flower's petals turned black as well.

Sakura knew with absolute dread and certainty that she was watching the creation of a new Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

For a moment Madara stood still, mismatched Mangekyo Sharingan shining from each eye. Then, he smiled.

"Better."

Sakura took a wary step back.

Madara smiled down at his right eye, now floating and bobbing in the White Zetsus' cells. "Perhaps this mixture will be able to restore the vision to my original eye… Or rather, Izuna's." His face softened minutely. "It would be a shame to lose my beloved brother's sacrifice."

Sakura felt dizzy. Rinnegan, Sharingan… new powers, new hatred… What if Madara somehow took on the hatred within Sasuke's eye… Would it undo the work she had done to free him from his curse?

She turned away hastily, towards the shelf with the scrolls. They were laid out tidily now instead of in a pile. Immediately, her stomach lurched. Madara hadn't opened any others since Danzo, but he had managed to reveal the labels on them. She now knew who was inside of each one. _Itachi… Nagato… Wait, wasn't Nagato the Akatsuki leader Pein's real identity?_ Naruto had told her that. He had told her everything after their fight, the way they were both disciple students of Jiraiya, how Nagato in his dying breath wanted to believe in the peace Naruto sought… So if Nagato was here amongst Obito's scrolls, then could Jiraiya be as well…?

She turned her face away, not wanting to read any more names. Her heart hurt just with the few she knew.

Something orange caught her eye. On another shelf was a cracked mask. The original mask Obito had worn as 'Tobi'. And next to the mask…

Sakura picked up the small blue object. It crinkled in her hands. A paper flower. _The one Konan wore._

The petals were flecked with blood.

Sakura felt very cold. "Obito… killed Konan?"

Madara looked over at her casually. Her back was facing him, and her shoulders were trembling. "Who is Konan?"

"She was the village head of Amegakure. She was Nagato's right-hand woman and part of the Akatsuki… until Naruto defeated Nagato." Her hands began to shake. "If Nagato's body is here, and her paper flower, then that means she's dead. And that means…" Her eyes widened. "Amegakure has no leader."

Madara's eyes narrowed. "That means that a new nation now has a motivation for war."

"Exactly," Sakura breathed. "And he killed her for what? Possibly threw _all of Amegakure_ into chaos _for what?!_ For a pair of eyes?!" She turned to Madara, the flower still in her hands. Her teeth were gritted, and there were angry tears in her eyes. "When Nagato died, she took him with her and hid him, along with his Rinnegan. Obito must have come for them."

 _When would it stop!? Just how many skeletons were inside of Obito's closet?_ Sakura wanted to get out of here. It felt like the walls were closing in. Too many bodies in here—

By contrast, Madara seemed entirely too calm, something she was beginning to hate him for. "That would explain how the eyes made their way back to me."

" _Back_ to you?" Sakura's panicked thoughts halted at his comment. She furrowed her eyebrows. "You mean… No… Those Rinnegan were Nagato's."

"They were mine. They were something I left to Nagato after I awoke them, in my advanced age."

"But… how?"

"Oh? You want to know that story? But that would be telling." Madara grinned. "I will tell you this: they were originally Izuna's eyes. You know what happened there. I managed to awaken the Rinnegan at the end of my natural life. I won't tell you exactly how… a lady of your intellectual prowess should be able to figure it out. I implanted them into Nagato, and when I was resurrected, Obito had somehow retrieved them. And you've just supplied how."

"So there was only ever one pair of Rinnegan. All this time…" _That makes sense. Madara can deactivate his Rinnegan at will into the Sharingan or even his normal eyes. Only an original wielder can do that. Kakashi-sensei couldn't deactivate Obito's Sharingan because of it. But still…_ She had thought maybe Nagato had his own pair. To know that the eyes responsible for destroying Konoha during his invasion weren't even his own…

"Yes. Izuna's eyes changed the world."

"You know, Madara…" Sakura started forward, clutching the blue flower tighter. "Those eyes didn't just cause harm. Nagato used the power of the Rinnegan to resurrect our entire village, after he had killed so many people. He brought hope back to us when he did that."

"And this very Rinnegan-" Madara pointed to his left eye, "resurrected me as well. It is the one Obito had when Black Zetsu forced him to use _that_ jutsu." _It's also the one you swallowed,_ he thought with a grin.

"You and Obito didn't have to use those eyes for war." She began to smile timidly. " _You_ don't have to _now_. They could be used for peace." Suddenly, her smile fell. "Wait a minute… If both Nagato and Obito used the resurrection jutsu with those eyes… Then why didn't they lose their light?"

"The jutsu kills the castor, but not the Rinnegan itself," Madara explained. "These eyes could be transplanted and used many times over, so long as they're not destroyed."

Sakura flinched. "So you could have used your eyes in another person's body to resurrect your brother, and then still kept the eyes for yourself afterward." _And that person... You would force them to cast the jutsu, sacrificing them in the process._

"I still could, _if_ I wished."

Sakura looked at him in sudden horror. He merely stared back. "You're not planning on using m-me for that, are you?"

Madara guffawed quite suddenly. In the eerie light, in full view of the Uchiha clan's eyes, the sight was unnerving.

"No, of course not," he said, his face retaining a sudden cheer. "For one thing, in order to do such a thing, you cannot use just anyone." He gave her an amused look. "I hate to tell you this, but your blood simply isn't strong enough to handle it. I chose Nagato in large part because he is an Uzumaki. His blood, or an Uchiha's or a Senju's blood, might be the only ones powerful enough to handle the Rinnegan. For another thing-"

"So only someone like Sasuke or Naruto could handle it," she muttered. She turned away to put the flower back on the shelf, as well as to hide her sudden pout. "Of course, it's always got to be those two…" _And all their powers,_ she thought sourly. Of course she was proud of her boys, but it was so hard keeping up with teammates who had bijuu powers and Sharingan and Rinnegan and…

 _Rinnegan._

Slowly, that single thought crystallized in Sakura's brain. Madara was speaking, but she couldn't hear it. For one long, terrible moment, everything finally made sense. Blood. Power. Love. War. Sharingan. Rinnegan. _Betrayal._

 _Sasuke has a Rinnegan in his left eye. Madara could use that…_

"…To resurrect Izuna," she whispered.

"Hmm?"

"You're planning to sacrifice Sasuke, aren't you?" _And you're planning to use me to get to Sasuke._

Madara didn't answer. She couldn't see his face, turned away as she was, but she felt the room temperature drop ten degrees.

Her muscles quivered. _"I WON'T LET YOU!"_

 _CRAAASH!_

The sentence hadn't even fully left her mouth. All around them were splinters of wood. Her actions were so unexpected that Madara, for all his alertness, hadn't even seen them coming. One minute she was peaceful albeit scared, and the next

She had thrown both of them through the table in the center of the room.

Jagged bits of wood showered down on them as Sakura pummeled Madara's face. She wasn't saying anything now, just grunts of rage, and her wild eyes frighteningly large…

 _BANG! CRACK! BAM!_

Amidst her savage assault, Madara was able to drive her back with a well-placed kick. She flew backwards into the wall. _SMASH!_ Glass rained down from some unfortunate specimen jars. She was already on her feet, then leaping for him, her intentions positively murderous. No hesitation at all.

He grabbed her wrists, spinning them around, but using chakra she propelled them through the laboratory's invisible door. The rock of the wall cracked and crumbled around them as they burst into the hallway. They rolled over, and he was immediately on his feet, and ready. She was already on the attack.

He caught the briefest glimpse into her eyes, though she wasn't directly meeting his gaze. Her expression was completely empty of everything but pure, unbridled wrath. Haruno Sakura… had well and truly _snapped_.

 _"MADARAAAAA!"_

 _-/-_

* * *

 **A/N:** Aaaand, there we go! A little more action in our future. :D Now for review responses (apologies if I'm kinda awkward in my responses; I'm socially awkward in general, hehe):

 **AxellaSumire -** Thank you. :) Once Madara's past was revealed in canon, I loved his complicated personality. Like you said, he really is so much more than a war maniac... I like what you said about how he listens to Sakura. I wish more people acknowledged Sakura in canon.

 **Mokki Takashi -** He'd probably hug you back. ;) I don't think he's a cutter, but he definitely has a masochistic streak! Definitely considered having Sakura build up an immunity to poisons... After all, if Sasuke could in canon, then why not Sakura? Poison will be important in the future...

 **Blissangel91494 -** Sakura definitely needs a hug with all the turbulence and WTFery Madara introduces to her life! XD Wonder if Madara will give her one... ;)

 **shellly.c -** Aww, thank you. :) I hope I won't disappoint!

 **orangana -** At this point, let's just say Sakura is in a _very_ vulnerable position with a man who's been manipulating people for far too long. But then again... don't count our Cherry Blossom out just yet! ;)

 **zulfi -** Thank you, my friend. So is that an official vote for more fluffy moments between the two of them? ;)

 **Cindy M 19 -** I sincerely think Madara gets a kick out of trolling people. First Obito, then Sakura. XD Their reactions amuse him a lot more than he'll ever let on!

 **LisbethMegalomania -** Thank you! Please let me know if you ever find the development too slow or too fast; I've been trying to make the pacing steady on purpose and can't always tell if I'm hitting it right. I'm glad you're liking the pace so far! :)

 **shadow miko -** Aww, thank you. :) I'm sorry this last update took so long. I'll try to be faster with the next chapter.

 **AFangirlLife -** Thank you. :)

 **Guest -** Not planning on abandoning this story, no worries! ;) We'll get to the end, though it'll be a while.

 **Lily -** He really can be nice in his mercurial way. :) Hashirama definitely brings it out in him... and now Sakura a little too. He's hard to write at times: I don't want to make him _too_ nice, yet he's not totally cold either. And thank you for the suggestion about making folks' names in bold! :D You're right, it makes it a lot easier to read! Ja ne :)

 **Teyona -** I'm so sorry for the ending of this chapter, when their closeness got somewhat dashed. I dreaded doing this to them. :/ I wasn't sure whether to have Madara show mercy on her or not for the notes and clothes scraps, but it seemed right somehow... He's strangely chill at certain moments (like when Hashirama told him he'd deal with him later, and then he sat patiently to wait for Hashirama to fight him). Heh heh... I love his unpredictability.

 **JigokuShoujosRevenge -** I think Madara would probably have seen Sasuke as a worthy successor to his cause, like Obito, has Sasuke joined their side. True, unfortunately Sakura wasn't sneaky enough, and Madara is unusually perceptive... Not to mention there's "Manako". ;)

 **Guest -** Aww, thank you! :D

 **Illuminated -** Your comment cracked me up! I could just imagine it and was sorely tempted to put it in... Ahh well XD

 **AlexisHGriffin -** "A bastard and a gentleman"... I love that description of Madara! :D Trying to find the balance for Sakura - strong in ways that canon zigzagged, but not so super-powered that development is missed. Your feedback helps me see she's on the right track, so thank you! :)

 **tsubaki-apple -** Thank you. :)

Thank you all again for your reviews and the time you've all taken to leave me encouragement. It means a lot to me. :) And thank you to the folks who are following and favoriting! Over 200 followers! That's more than I ever could have hoped for. Til next chapter, everyone!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Hi everyone! I'm so sorry to have taken so long with this next chapter. I've been having a very rough few weeks at home. :( I'll come back later to respond to reviews, but didn't want to keep you guys waiting any longer. Thank you everyone for the wonderful reviews last chapter! I deeply enjoy and appreciate them.

Hope you enjoy~

S.S.

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER ELEVEN-

 **-/-**

 _"MADARAAAA!"_

SMASH.

Haruno Sakura stood in the dank tunnel, dust surrounding her like a halo. The torchlights flickered madly, casting shadows across her face, glinting off clenched teeth, making her normally innocent looks appear ominous.

 _What's with her?_

One minute they had been talking amicably about Rinnegan and resurrection, and the next minute she had attacked him. Just what had set her off so abruptly?

The firelight caught the gleam in her eyes, and Madara was momentarily entranced.

Ferocity, rage, hostility, determination, adrenaline, and more than a slight dose of insanity... All these things were now present in her eyes and fists. All these wonderful, beautiful things... directed at _him._

Madara moved without thinking. One moment Sakura was barreling for him, and the next moment she was careening into the wall opposite him, smashing her head against it with spectacular force. He had thrown her, and now he was closing in on her before she had fully recovered.

 _BANG!_ The sudden kick made him see stars. Sakura had gotten him without even turning around, extending her leg above her head in the blink of an eye with the force of her kick.

 _That's right…_ Madara realized suddenly as he flew backward. She had whispered something about Sasuke, and Izuna being resurrected. Did she think that he would try to use Sasuke as he had Obito, to force Sasuke to use his Rinnegan to resurrect Madara's beloved younger brother?

He had to admit, that _did_ sound like something he would have done. If she wasn't careful, she might give him ideas. He almost chuckled at the thought.

"Is this how much Sasuke means to you, Sakura?" he taunted as he got to his feet, crossing his arms. "That you would attack me so willingly over the slightest chance I might harm him?" He laughed quietly. "Are you so eager to throw your life away over him?" He had to admit, he hadn't foreseen this. He had been looking forward to breaking Sakura, but he hadn't realized that threatening her precious Sasuke would have this kind of an effect.

 _Though it's not surprising… These snot-nosed brats put far more value on romantic love than my generation ever did… Seeing Obito's development in the wake of losing Rin was proof enough of that._

Madara frowned when his words seemingly had no effect.

Sakura seemed to have frozen where she stood. One hand was still pressed against the wall, steadying her. Her other hand, he noticed, was raised to her face. His eyes narrowed. _Hand seals?_ With her back to him, he wouldn't be able to read them, though he was more than certain he would be able to counter anything she could throw at him. Just the same, his knees bent ever so slightly as he crouched into a battle-ready stance.

This wasn't happening exactly as planned. He had been hoping to hear her talk more about her vision for peace before breaking her, and he _hadn't_ been planning to use Sasuke to accomplish this. But what better time to test her resolve than the present? The opportunity had presented itself rather organically, so why not take advantage of it?

She would never be on his level when it came to fighting, but just the same, fighting with her would afford him an excellent chance to peer into her mind and her character. Here in an exchange of fists, he could discover how far her anger would motivate her. Was it even remotely comparable to an Uchiha's pain? And would this protective feeling in her change how she saw world peace? In a sense, Sakura would be fighting for her very ideals with this battle.

It was decided, then. He would fight with her until he was bored. Yes... he would _play_ with her a little. After all, he didn't really want to kill her. Just… put her in her place. Then, dealing with her would be no more challenging than an armor-sleeved single strike. But in the meantime, why not stoke his own curiosity?

Curiosity might kill a great many things, but not him. Instead, it merely entertained him. And he never denied himself good entertainment.

A sinister smile curled his mouth.

"Well, Sakura… Aren't we going to dance?" he called out.

When she turned, he saw one of her black gloves was in her mouth, and her right hand was exposed. Healing chakra surrounded her bare hand, while destructive chakra enveloped the gloved one. He quirked an eyebrow. Just what was she doing? Healing herself already ...or something else? Was she so delicate that even a little throw could break her?

Madara himself was sporting a nose injury. She had broken it during her initial ambush in Obito's laboratory. Blood dripped down the back of his throat, and he spat it out gleefully.

She lunged.

Attacking him here underground, in such limited confines... _Not bad strategy on her part,_ Madara acknowledged as he blocked her next hit, this one delivered with her gloved hand. He, having spent his entire youth on the battlefield, was well-versed in fighting. Out on the land, with boulders and trees like war clubs and kunai, with only the open sky to watch you weep blood, you knew that you were dancing for your very life. There was nowhere you could go to escape the constant warfare. You thought it, breathed it, lived it, and one day you would die by it. That was _fact_.

He brought a brutal knee up to her chin, and she made a muffled shriek as her head snapped back. But her hands were already locked around the offending knee, and she gave it a vicious twist. His whole body went flying, much to his shock. And now she was the one closing in.

To fight here in a narrow passageway was different than open land. He couldn't remember the last time he'd fought in a place like this. She could corner him here, if she were a greater shinobi. How unfortunate for her that she wasn't.

Still, he would be forced to use taijutsu or lower levels of ninjutsu for now. None of his usual flashy displays, lest he bring the cave down upon their heads. And close quarters were her specialty, with that monstrous strength of hers. Very smart indeed, to limit him this way. Of course, he could always end things quickly with his Sharingan, but where would be the fun in that?

Both her hands were coming at him now, one glowing green, the other glowing blue. He only barely ducked, and the wind from her palms ruffled his hair, clapping together above his head. It seemed she was aiming for his head with her blows... Smart girl. Even _her_ hits would be blunted by his armor... She was going straight for the unprotected areas of his body.

His knee twanged painfully. She must have infused chakra into her grip when she twisted it.

His fist shot out, a fierce punch directly to her sternum. She wasn't wearing armor and she grunted in pain, but only stumbled a little. So, she could take a punch? He spun, kicking her clear across the corridor, but she caught herself, gluing her feet to the wall using chakra.

Again, he noticed how quickly she recovered. She was careful to always keep her eyes on his movements, always an awareness of where he was. That would make this a bit more challenging after all... _Good._

"Are you merely going to glare at me all day? How boring."

She flipped to the floor, pummeling the ground beneath them and sending a shockwave of destruction towards him. He jumped, landing on the wall opposite her. She came at him with a rapid series of hits, and he just barely blocked. The Sharingan allowed him to read her movements, of course, but it wasn't as easy as it usually was. She was fighting more fluidly, yes, but also more unpredictably. Glimpsing her eyes once again, he was struck by the sheer _bloodlust_ and unbridled rage that was there. So. She really was fighting on pure instinct and impulse, not a drop of premeditation to her moves. _No wonder._

He grinned. "Your dance steps just got a little deeper."

Her pink eyebrows were furrowed, her teeth bared. Her fist shot out towards his face, and he dodged. He noticed that it was her ungloved hand making the strike. But by then, it was too late for him to stop what happened.

As her fist flew by his face, her palm opened.

A short shock of electricity lanced from her fingertips, caressing the side of his face. It made his hair crackle. He had already ducked low, sending her flying with a headbutt, when he began to ponder her sudden move.

It was too weak to be lightning release, plus she'd been using healing chakra in her hand. There was no pain. So she had converted her healing chakra into a slight electrical pulse... But for what purpose?

She had caught herself on the rock ceiling with the palms of her hands, using her fine chakra control to keep her glued to its surface. Her body swung around, a roundhouse kick aimed for his face. Easily blocked. He reached for his gunbai-

 _Oh no._

His eyes widened momentarily in horror, and then Sakura's foot found its way to his jaw.

He twisted his body just enough to avoid the full impact of the hit. If he hadn't, she might well have taken him down with that single move. As it was, he couldn't catch himself with his arms and had to rely on his feet solely. For when he reached out with his left hand to steady himself, _the right hand moved instead._

So... medical ninjutsu, used offensively? The chakra from her hand had merely brushed him, and his hands had actually switched signals on him! He tried again to reach for his gunbai, but instincts die hard, and he couldn't form the mental commands he needed to. The wrong hand grasped comically in the wrong direction. _This_ would be a challenge indeed.

A wry smile made its way to his face as he raised both hands. With considerable mental effort, he formed them into a now-unfamiliar hand sign.

He had never dealt with an opponent who attacked the body so precisely. The Hyuuga clan had joined Konoha before he left, but he'd never fought one and therefore never faced their famed Byakugan. Aside from them, he hadn't thought anyone would be capable of challenging him this way. Surely there had been many advances in the medical field since his fighting days, but… He would admit to himself that he had not been particularly interested in those, save the rudimentary work he did to help keep Obito alive until the White Zetsu cells could do their job. Hashirama had been able to heal innately; there was no need to pay much attention to medical ninjutsu when he had seen Hashirama as the pinnacle of healing capabilities. Perhaps this was an oversight on his part.

Yes... Before now, he'd never had to face medical ninjutsu being used offensively. This opportunity excited him far more than it should have.

It seemed their fight had just gotten _interesting_.

* * *

Sakura was slowly coming back into herself. Just the mere thought of Madara sacrificing Sasuke had overwhelmed her. She could never let that happen! But now that her initial adrenaline was wearing off, she realized it might not have been so wise to pick a fight with him, knowing what he was capable of. So much for being careful and level-headed.

Was he toying with her? Why was he _smiling?!_

She saw his hands shake with effort as they formed the clone seal. She lunged for him-

 _Pop! Pop!_ Two clones landed, one on either side of him. _Those_ two didn't have their brain signals mixed up.

FWOOOOSH! The fire blasted her backward, utterly surrounding her, choking her. Before she could even land, the clone were already upon her, leaping through the blaze to kick her.

Sakura slammed back into the wall, and from there it became a frantic tap dance of avoiding their blows, returning some of her own. They pummeled her, bruised and bloodied her, though she kept them from beating her to unconsciousness. The entire time, she kept an eye on the original Madara, who seemed to be trying to form another hand signal.

Her eyes widened. That was lightning release! She was so startled that she failed to block, and a clone's fist smashed upon her head, throwing her backwards and through the doors of Obito's kitchen.

* * *

While his clones kept her busy, he would have to focus on dispelling her jutsu. She really was becoming quite troublesome indeed. To think that she would surprise him this way...

Sakura screamed as a clone threw her by her short hair, and Madara smiled.

Now then... her jutsu... He remembered the buzz of electricity from her fingertips. So, guessing based on what he knew about the human body, she must have disrupted the electrical signals that told his hands to move, confusing them. So then, would another electric shock set it right? No time to wonder. Only time to try it out.

He painstakingly made one last hand sign. _In theory, this should work…_ He activated his Rinnegan and summoned all the electricity in his body, releasing it in a single strong burst.

"AGGGH!"

The pain of nerves jolting… the sheer galvanizing rush he got… His hair was smoking a little, but he was eager to see if it had worked. Tentatively he tried out each hand, clenching and opening his fists. Yes. He had dispelled her jutsu successfully.

He eagerly turned towards the kitchen where she had flown, only to hear a loud SNAP! Just then, he felt a clone's consciousness jolt into his own. She had snapped its neck. He grimaced. _How unpleasant._

If he didn't know any better, he would say that her goal wasn't merely to beat him; rather, it was to maim him as painfully as possible. He sucked the blood from his teeth as amusement tickled him. _Isn't that a bit hypocritical to your precious Hippocratic Oath, Sakura? Have I made you lose your restraint by that much?_ Now that he knew what she was capable of at such short range, he would-

BOOOOM! _BOOOOOOM!_

His other clone was propelled through the kitchen doors, singed and writhing. Its head was covered with a bluish chemical that smoked and bubbled ominously. Smoke erupted out of the kitchen. A second later, a pink head wove through the billowing black smoke.

Sakura's face was smudged in a myriad of colors: black with ashes, blue with bruises, and red with blood. But it was her eyes that were most vivid. Blazing, hateful green. It was strange to see such a soothing color turn so violent; usually Madara associated green with healing chakra and forests, and red was the color of war. But right now...

Sakura's gloved hand was raised, and suddenly she threw a vial at him.

 _Crash!_ FWOOOOOM!

Madara leaped back as the vial burst on the ground. A poisonous cloud erupted from the small glass container. So... Sakura had stocked up when she went to the kitchen. He vaguely remembered the test tubes and flasks - no doubt Obito's projects - that he had seen during their walkthrough. Just what was in those?

He heard footsteps pattering up the tunnel. Sakura was retreating. He couldn't see her through the chemical cloud, but he could hear her. He couldn't risk running through the cloud, though, lest something airborne would harm him. He unlatched his gunbai.

WOOOSH!

A wave of his fan parted the haze, and he rushed through. He could hear her footsteps ahead, and then another crash of glass. This time he was ready, swinging his gunbai the minute he saw the approaching mist. This time it was pink. He could hear the hiss as the rock walls of the passageway corroded slightly under the onslaught.

It was getting painful to run. There was a tightness present in his leg that hadn't been there before... It was the leg she had grasped when she threw him, he realized. Just what had she done to him there?!

There was a rumble from ahead. One of her punches most likely. Was she trying to bring down the cave upon them both? He doubted even she could outrun a cave-in, though stranger things had happened. After all, Obito once survived one.

He would need to hurry. And if she didn't stop, then-

* * *

Sakura burst through the surface, shooting out of the entrance to the Mountains' Graveyard. Surrounding her were huge bones, some with entire skeletons intact. Now she knew how this place got its name.

She threw another vial back down the tunnel. She was running out; she'd grabbed all the ones she could get her hands on, hoping that some of them would be useful. So far, it looked to be that way.

She gritted her teeth. This wouldn't be enough to stop Madara. She punched the ground again, three times in rapid succession, and was rewarded by a rumbling noise. Hopefully it had disrupted some of the rocks that made up the hideout, though she had no idea how much damage it would be able to do. The rocks inside shared some of the same bedrock as the mountains around them... Still, maybe it would slow him down... She didn't dare hope it would kill him. Not _him_.

She was running underneath a huge ribcage when the rumbling intensified. She barely had time to dodge before Susanoo erupted from the ground in front of her, sword first, the ribcage catching on the spectral blade during its ascent.

She could hear him chuckling. "Well, Sakura, I must admit, you're full of surprises."

Madara was moderately impressed. The same move had impaled her mentor straight through, though the Senju woman had survived. Sakura seemed to be much more talented at dodging than her predecessor.

"You're quite lucky, you know. The cave-in you could have caused with your shenanigans, I stopped. With a little help from Susanoo, of course..." he said, sweeping his arm, as the spectral warrior did the same.

Now the medic looked up, and up, and _up_ as his Susanoo climbed from the ground, standing fully erect. Two faces, four arms. Tusk-like teeth, bared and grinning. Susanoo spun briefly, flinging the ribcage from its sword and up through the air. Sakura flinched and tensed, ready to dodge once again. Glee filled him at the sight of her so tiny beneath him.

"You were holding back before! You could have used your knowledge of the human body against me in a thousand different ways, no doubt, and you truly caught me by surprise down in the hideout. I am..." he smiled, "...most impressed. I did not realize that by merely being in your presence, I was venturing so close to death... _Doctor Haruno_."

Had Hashirama's granddaughter taught her offensive medical ninjutsu as well? If so, why did they both hold back before? Was it because they weren't in close enough range to use it? In that case... long-range fighting would be fine for now.

"...But what will you do now? You're no longer close enough to use your medical ninjutsu on me, and I know your taijutsu fighting style all too well."

There were beads of sweat on her forehead, and for the first time during their fight, she appeared apprehensive. There was pause there where previously there had been none. But if he was not mistaken, there was something else in her gaze. Her determination hadn't wavered. She still had a means to go forward. Now he was intrigued.

"If you have any more moves to impress me with, anything else you've been holding back... Now would be the time to use it."

He had been restraining himself too; after all, it was unbecoming to go all-out on a child. He'd been merely playing around before, letting her vent and meanwhile work herself directly into his trap. But after getting a glimpse of this new side of hers, perhaps he would hold back a little less. The harder he pushed her, the greater the rewards were sure to be.

Yes. He would fan the flames of her ire. He would see which was stronger within her - the darkness, or the light.

"Don't disappoint me."

Susanoo dove for her with a swing of its swords.

* * *

As Madara's humanoid Susanoo came for her, Sakura did the very first thing she had ever learned as a medic. She dodged.

Susanoo turned, shockingly fast for such a large being, and swept its sword at her. She just barely managed to tumble to one side. Had she not been looking over her shoulder right at Susanoo, she would have never seen it in time.

 _Madara's moves and the Susanoo's are almost perfectly synchronized. But still... there's a split-second lag in between them. If I can just pay attention to Madara's moves inside of the Susanoo, then I can dodge more easily._ With that, Sakura stopped running, and turned her body, facing Susanoo fully. She readied her fists: gloves or not, both were capable of super-punches.

"Well... feeling brave?"

The swords swung at her...

...And Sakura felt herself become lost in the movement, jumping over one sword, only to punch away the next one, only to dodge between the next two. At one point she even wound up on the underside of a sword, clinging with chakra in the soles of her feet, before Susanoo jolted her loose. And the whole time, the mad Uchiha was cackling and shouting down at her:

"That's it! Dance! Dance more for me, Sakura!"

Sakura took up one of the massive bones - a rib bone, sharp on one end. Using all of her strength, she swept it around, stopping one of Susanoo's swords.

Madara quirked an eyebrow. "Hm?"

Sakura used the rib to block the swords' strikes as she advanced closer to Susanoo's body. If she could get close enough... But Madara was, indeed, much too adept at seeing through her moves. He knew where she was trying to go. Susanoo toyed with her for a few minutes, before abruptly attacking, slicing her rib-sword down to a nub in mere seconds. In her frustration, Sakura hurled the remaining bone up at Susanoo. It bounced off its chest, where Madara floated, controlling it. The monstrous grin never left the spectral warrior's face.

"I must admit, I was becoming rather enchanted with your talks of peace, but... I'll enjoy this too!" Madara clenched a fist. "Keep dancing for me, Sakura! Let me see your waltz! Show me all your moves you've been hiding!"

 _He wants a show, huh?_ Her jaw clicked in place. Suddenly she made a mad dash directly for Susanoo.

 _This again...?_ Madara remembered the mad rush she had made towards him when he had fought her mere days ago in the forest. But this time his Susanoo was fully out of the ground. The most she could hope to do was to nip at its heels. And Susanoo would crush her like an ant before she could ever land a blow.

"Would you like for me to dance _on_ you?!"

To Sakura's great horror, Susanoo raised one massive foot and stomped directly toward her. She barely dodged, and the resulting shockwave threw her back at least fifty feet. Susanoo kept raising its massive feet and soon settled into a disturbing rhythm. Madara really was making his spectral puppet dance!

Laughter was the farthest thing from Sakura's mind. Instead, a scream of terror lodged itself in her throat.

Susanoo was dancing towards her, leaving devastation in its wake. Sakura stepped backward, eyes darting around. She would be pinned between the mountains and the skeletons... The skeletons!

She ran into a maze of massive ribcages, spines, and skulls, and Susanoo followed. If only she could hide from him somehow! But Madara was too good a sensor to lose her. The most she could do was to double back, when Susanoo slowed down.

Her moment came when the monster had trouble getting around an intact skeleton. She made it to the far side, waited for a half-second, and then darted forward.

It was hell getting to him, but she'd be damned if she gave up now!

Through Susanoo's waltz of destruction she ran, leaped onto one of the massive feet, and then began running up its leg. _Keep going... keep going... Just like a tree trunk!_

For all her time on Team 7, she had always watched Sasuke's and Naruto's back. In all areas... except for one.

Her first memory of tree-climbing came back, so long ago in the Land of Waves. It was the first time she had been shown to be any good at something... her exceptional chakra control. Susanoo might be the god of storms, but to her, he was as easy to run up as a tree in high winds.

Susanoo swept at her with a hand as one might swat a fly. But Sakura jumped through the air, landed briefly on its hand, and then jumped again, landing sideways on its chest.

Madara sent a blast of fire straight for her, and she barely dodged. She glared at him fiercely, then pulled something from her pouch. It wasn't a vial; it looked like a tiny pill. A performance enhancer, perhaps?

Sakura popped the little red pill in her mouth, then quickly did some hand signs. Madara's eyes narrowed when she ended by hitting her palm to her own stomach. Her eyes bulged slightly, then forming one final hand seal in front of her chest, Sakura vomited.

Blood sloshed from her mouth and all over Susanoo's chest, effectively blocking her from Madara's view. And while he couldn't see her, he could feel her fists begin to pound away at Susanoo's chest.

His warrior swatted itself, trying to dislodge the stubborn medic, but she could dodge him easily now and she continued pounding away until-

 _Crack!_

Madara had time to brace himself as Sakura punched one final time, bursting through Susanoo's chest to grab the legendary shinobi by his shoulders. And then, they fell.

And as they fell, fragments of Susanoo's blue bones twinkling and showering around them like snow, Madara looked up into Sakura's face.

Her teeth were bared, just inches from biting him. Blood splattered her hair and cheeks and forehead, dripping, surrounding her eyes like a mask. Her eyes were livid, lively, _feral_. No indeed, he had _never_ known green could be a color of such ferocity. All his life, it had been red – the red of blood, the red of the Sharingan. But to think, that this little green-eyed life-giving medic could project such a _violent_ vibe…

 _She truly is..._

"Magnificent," he whispered, reaching up to stroke her face. His fingers never made it there.

As they crashed home to Earth, losing themselves to noise and confusion, Madara thought one final thing:

 _If she were an Uchiha, she would be sporting a new doujutsu right now._

* * *

It couldn't have been longer than a second. The landing had been hard, but for that brief moment, Madara had lost consciousness.

That wasn't something that happened to him during battle. The realization that it had happened disturbed him.

He sat up immediately, spotting Sakura some twenty feet away. She was breathing, and her eyes were open, but she seemed winded... Or perhaps she had broken something.

Well, she was the medic. Surely she could heal herself and keep fighting, could she not? At the thought of more fighting, Madara leaped to his feet.

"I can feel the heat in your veins!" he bellowed, a blood-thirsty grin blooming across his face as he turned to her, hoping to rouse her. "I can taste your murderous intentions... I want more!"

A small trickle of blood leaked from his nose. He wiped it absently.

Sakura grunted. Her movements were shaky as she tried to stand. Before she had even made it to her feet, she threw a kunai.

It wasn't a very good throw. The only advantage she had was in where she aimed it - as his feet. Because she was still down low, it was a little harder to see she had thrown it. But he dodged, allowing it to plant itself in the ground between his feet. It was only then that he noticed the slight purple sheen on it.

 _Poison? But where? How?_

Suddenly, she was strong on her feet. So, her weakness had been a ruse? In the next instant, she punched the ground, rupturing it, sending a wave of chakra spiking towards him. He jumped to avoid her strike, then closed in, in an instant. This time, he let fly with just his fists, hitting her brutally over and over again, marking every inch of flesh he could get his hands on.

She barely managed to substitute in the midst of his beating. Appearing to his left, she landed another chakra-infused punch on the ground, knocking him back. He recovered instantly and came for her, faster than she could come for him.

His tunic flared out, almost like a dress beneath his red armor. His legs, posed to deliver a kick, were airborne, one straight down, the other bent, and his gloved hands were slightly extended. In that moment, his stance was as graceful as a ballerina's pose. Even in midair, Madara danced.

She blocked with her forearms.

His eyes were locked onto each of her movements. It interested him to know that her eyes were locked onto him with equal intensity… except she was smart enough not to meet his gaze. But she was watching him far too closely… a medical trick designed to anticipate enemy moves, and thus be adept at dodging, perhaps? It made sense. And after all, she was quite gifted in her art.

He swept his gunbai at her. She jumped, planted a foot on top of his prized weapon to leap higher, then tried to kick. He spun out of the way.

"Dance with me some more, Sakura!" he commanded her. "Or are you that willing to allow Sasuke to fall to me?" His taunt was rewarded. She slipped for him once more in a rush of air.

As he readied, she struck.

BANG!

Her blow glanced off his gunbai. But aside from that, she didn't respond verbally to his taunts.

This generation seemed to be rather talkative while they fought. They had no idea how many advantages this had given him during their recent war. He himself wasn't above a good conversation on the battlefield, but he never let it interfere with his strategizing. Throughout their battle he had hope that surely, if he drew it out a little, Sakura would begin to pontificate on her Will of Fire or her determination or some other thing that gave her life meaning…

Sakura did no such thing.

Sakura never stopped. In fact, she never paused at all. Nor did she leave any openings.

Madara was impressed.

Too bad he didn't have the power of the Divine Tree…

PUNCH!

…Or the power of the Ten Tails…

SMACK!

…Or both Rinnegan eyes…

POW!

…Or that implant of Hashirama…

CRUNCH!

…But then again, he was still Uchiha Madara.

"AAH!"

Too bad her taijutsu style was so predictable. It was far too easy to slip the kunai under her ribs when she drew back for her next punch. After all, he knew how to spot openings too.

He couldn't even count how many Senju he had killed, merely because he could spot an opening faster than they could.

Sakura screamed. Her hand was already flying to the wound as he staggered backward, lightheaded, before she caught herself, leaning forward onto her knees. She coughed blood, grimacing horribly, all while Madara watched her with the eyes of a cat playing with a mouse. As if her life were nothing more than a game to him.

Sakura looked up at him weakly. And then, she brought her hand forward, the one not covering her gut wound. In that hand was her last vial.

Before Madara could move, she threw it in the dirt between their feet.

He jumped back, waving his gunbai to clear the newest chemical cloud. By the time he could see again, Sakura was gone.

* * *

He found her easily enough. The screaming of the noisy peregrine falcon overhead led him directly to her, though a blood trail had appeared as he got closer as well. She had made it half a mile away before collapsing.

She was kneeling in the tall grass, not far from the decomposing body of a shinobi. He made a mental note to return to burn it later. Sakura was first priority.

She was slowly succumbing to her wounds; he could see by the increasing splatters of blood as he approached her. With such little chakra, she wouldn't be able to move around for much longer. Lucky for her he was so merciful... Death by long exposure, with only a rotting corpse for company, would be such an unseemly way to go.

"Ahh, Sakura. What ever shall I do with you now?"

She was already staring at him, eyes wide with unconcealed fear.

"Come any closer, and you'll have a taste of my fist!"

It pleased him that she was now talking back to him. However, it was more a tell than anything else: she was getting desperate. She knew she couldn't fight much more in her current state. Unlike before, he was more careful to examine her physical state as well as her chakra. It was no ruse: she was growing weaker.

"You seem quite confident in those fists of yours."

"And why wouldn't I be?" It seemed she felt a sudden bravado, from the way her voice abruptly changed into a growl. "It was the last thing _Kaguya_ tasted before they sealed her away."

"What? You're joking. The likes of _you_? Land a hit on the likes of _her_?"

"Yep! Knocked one of her horns clean off!"

"Impressive…"

"Stay the hell away from me!"

Madara walked closer to her slowly, savoring the moment. She was down on one knee, glaring fiercely up at him, like a wounded animal caught in a snare. He could see her shivering with pain, and he adopted a smile that was almost warm. Almost, unless she was looking into his eyes. And if she were smart, she wouldn't.

He stopped when he was just within striking distance, then he slowly reached for her face-

WHAM!

The slap rebounded off his Limbo Border Jail clone, who had been standing directly in front of him, unseen. Sakura cried out as if her blow hit an invisible wall, but that wasn't all that happened. To Madara's astonishment, his clone keeled over, with shocking stillness. When he dispersed it, he was almost horrified by what he learned. It seemed that immediately after Sakura's hit, the clone had felt the slightest burst of chakra from where she struck, and then all was blind. But not merely the clone's sight, no - rather, _all_ its senses were abruptly silenced. Sight, sound, touch, smell, and he imagined taste as well. The clone had been completely cut off from the world of sensation, from the world itself. Everything simply... went dark.

 _How chilly! How... delightful._

"Well well… It seems I have underestimated you, Sakura. Very clever. Where were you hiding this trick? Why did you not use it before?"

"That's not all I have!"

"Oh? Do share."

"With pleasure!" And then she jerked her other hand.

Madara realized then that both her gloves were off, and there was something connected to her other hand. At first he thought it was a string, but no... that shining blue... a chakra thread?

The thoughts went through his head in the span of a second, the same second in which he stumbled. Because Sakura's chakra thread was connected to his foot. She had been luring him closer on purpose, baiting him by warning him to stay away! Smart girl.

Indeed, he slipped just a little as the weak thread of chakra tugged his foot out from under him. Weak, but it had been enough. He fell sideways, and she was ready with waiting arms. She caught him, flipping them over so she was on top of him, and he was on his back. She raised a fist—

And he caught her in his gaze.

A split second was all it took, and she was helpless above him. Her body stopped, fist still raised, and she quivered as an oddly glazed look entered her eyes. Madara smiled up at her triumphantly.

"Sakura...dancing with you has truly been a pleasure."

His Sharingan stopped spinning. And she slumped forward and didn't stir.

He breathed in slowly, savoring the end of their fighting. Her hair tickled his nose; she smelled of sweat and something vaguely sweet. Flowers, perhaps, a few days old.

He lay there for a moment, her body warm and unconscious on top of him, and breathed in the fresh mountain air and her smell.

This was new. Usually, he did not leave a person alive on the battlefield, or at least, not anyone he had at his mercy. He killed anyone and everyone he was capable of killing. But this was different. He still needed her. And...

He stood up wearily, a warrior hardened through and through, and easily slipped her into his arms. Then he began walking back to his hideout.

...And he enjoyed her company enough to allow her to leave the battlefield alive.

 _Yes, Sakura,_ he thought as he walked, looking down at the sleeping girl, _our quality time together is only just beginning. I hope you're as ready for it as I am..._


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: Happy July, everyone! Top of the month to you!

I am truly overwhelmed by the positive support you all have given me. Thank you so much to Bloodmoon Goddess, darth-healer, shellly.c, ladyparty123, Taraneh Rose, Lily, v. yeesha, Mokki Takashi, tsubaki-apple, Meanna NeKo, Guest, Rhearenee, orangana, SunRises6, Zombie Reine, JigokuShoujosRevenge, Bsmiles123, rriddlemethis, d, Guest, Illuminated, Blue Jean20, shadow miko, mseclair, Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl, Radita, Lais, Sophie, Of Healing Love, Guest, Guest, and UrbanDoll for your awesome reviews! :D

I honestly was scared people wouldn't like the fight scene, but you guys bowled me over! :D I love how so many of you wanted Sakura to shine even more in the manga; that was the inspiration for the way she fought last chapter. Kishimoto could have done so much more with her! Heck, he could have done more with medical ninjutsu in general. I was worried you guys would think I was taking liberties to include offensive medical ninjutsu in her repertoire, since she never used any in the manga. Well, she should have, darn it! Seeing the sorts of things Kabuto, Tsunade, and Shizune were capable of, back in that fight during Part I, should have been an indicator that medical ninjutsu could be hella intense when Kishimoto wants to put the focus on it. And that fight Sakura had with Sasori... That was a thing of beauty. :) Those are the moments we deserved to see more of, as Sakura's fans! Grrrrr. Anyway, I'm glad so many of us think alike in this regard.

And to those of you who saw a little extra meaning in Madara's last thoughts of the chapter, yes, it means exactly what you think it does. But since this is Madara we're talking about, he'll be weird and creepy as hell about it (at first at least).

I can't believe it's been a month. I am so sorry it has taken me so long to update again. :( Unfortunately, there's still upsetting stuff going on at home (a lot of family issues), and it may have gotten worse. So this chapter might not be my best — it's hard to think right now, let alone write. But I write for therapy too, if you know what I mean? I know some of you can probably relate. Anyway, maybe this'll help ease my depression and help me cope better with everything else too.

Thank you again.

~S.S.

P.S. You guys are gonna hate me for this chapter. I apologize in advance. I seriously considered posting an Omake before this chapter, but thought it might mess up "Madara's funky flow" too much, to quote Peanut-Alien-Ninja-Girl. I should mention more explicitly: this is where the story gets dark. This is where abusiveness explicitly comes out. So please don't read it if you think it will hurt you. Unfortunately, this is a very real part of Madara's character, one he sorely needs to lose. Thank you.

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER TWELVE-

 **-/-**

A squelching noise, like someone walking through mud—

 _"AAAAAAAHHH!"_

The scream tore from Sakura's mouth as the kunai tore through her gut. She looked down, growing lightheaded at the sight of the blood gushing from her abdomen. It stained her shirt an even darker red.

 _I can heal this! I must heal this! I've healed worse than this!_ Her hand flew to the wound and her chakra seeped out, but she was weak, so very weak... When she coughed, more blood splattered down her front.

Madara's mantle rustled as he darted to her left. She had stumbled back without realizing it, away from the gory kunai still in his grip. Her blood ran through his gloved fingers now. In brought to mind another scene from not so long ago — his black hand, withdrawing from her stomach, clutching his prize as he rent her insides, cherry blossom petals flying all around them... Now he was watching her like a hawk, honed in on her every move, but not yet going in for the kill.

 _His mistake._

Her other hand found the final vial from Obito's "kitchen" (really, it was more like a chemical cocktail lab). She hadn't known what any of the chemicals were, since they were unlabeled, but she had hoped they'd be destructive. After all, they came from the section of the kitchen labeled "caution: highly flammable" (which was about two-thirds of the kitchen). Hopefully they would be useful in creating a smokescreen or an explosion, she had thought at the time. So far, she had been right.

She threw that final vial between herself and Madara. It exploded gloriously.

Before he could find her again, she fled, gritting her teeth against the stabbing pain. Her chakra flickered, working slowly as she ran, and hazily she remembered. _If I don't mask myself, Madara will find me easily. And he'll make short work of me. At least, I have to wait until I have some distance before I can heal myself._ Her medical chakra flickered out like a light. The pain worsened.

Her blood was sour in her throat. Impossible to tell if it came from her wound or the plasma pill she'd ingested earlier. She'd used it to block Madara's view while she pounded away at his Susanoo, but right now, the lingering effects were probably helping prevent her from passing out due to blood loss... Though she really shouldn't have this much blood in her stomach. She'd throw up if she weren't careful.

 _And Madara is way too damn good at smelling out my blood,_ she grimaced. _I can't leave a trail!_ Her fingers tightened around her wound. _Damn him!_

She was through the bones and ascending the slope away from Mountains' Graveyard. Each leap was agony, but she pressed onward, heading south. The grass grew longer, and she could see forest ahead.

She stopped to listen. She couldn't hear Madara. But that didn't mean anything.

She stumbled through the tall grass. Her footsteps wavered. A small splash of blood upon the ground. _Shit!_ She gritted her teeth, willing herself onward. _Can't use my seal... It's still drained from that last time with the rods..._ Her head gave a violent lurch. Why was the world suddenly sideways?

Sakura caught herself.

 _If I stop to heal myself and he catches me, I'm dead anyway! Move, Sakura!_

But she couldn't. She couldn't move as her cut insides sloshed against each other, dripping red and draining her, ounce by painful ounce, of her strength. And to her horror, she could barely feel her own chakra in her body. She wouldn't have enough to heal herself even if she wanted to! Sakura tripped over her own feet, lightheaded, and sank to her knees, doubling over. Grasped at the stunted herbs that grew at her feet, trying to hold on—

Wait a minute.

Sakura's gaze focused on the herbs beneath her fingertips. _These hairy, tooth-edged leaves_ _... Could it be...?_ She bent her head to look closer. "Kinmizuhiki!" She could have sobbed with relief. The little herb at her feet was an excellent styptic, able to aid in stanching wounds. If she could just gather enough leaves...

She set to plucking as many leaves as she could and pressing them to her wound. She saw more of the plant, growing inconspicuously in the tall grass, and crawled painfully to them. _This is more than just a little cut... But maybe..._

To Sakura's relief, as she pressed the leaves into her wound, the bleeding began to slow. It was helping! The blood caused the leaves to stick to her skin. Hurriedly, Sakura pressed her clothing back in place over the wound. No matter how much it hurt, she had to keep moving! But it was so hard getting up... She just wanted to stay here on the ground until the pain stopped... Maybe have a nap— Sakura slapped both cheeks to keep herself from passing out.

She looked back and nearly groaned. Before she'd collapsed, she'd begun to leave a blood trail. Splashes of blood were visible, stark red against the yellowing grasses. Madara would be onto her before too long...

She bit her lip. He would catch her. But she couldn't just sit here uselessly! Frantically, she began to gather more herbs. She had already used up the torikabuto on her kunai. She was lucky he hadn't used the same kunai on her. But these herbs could help, if he left her alive after this... She would have to wait for an opportunity... Any opportunity...

Once she had gathered enough, she took a deep breath and sealed the medley of herbs away. Then, she tried her feet. When she stood, she didn't fall. The pain was lessening! Maybe she could make it out of here after all!

As she stumbled towards the forest, she warned herself not to be too optimistic. She was within several yards of the tree-line when a ghastly smell hit her nose. Frantically she whipped her head around. What was that?!

She startled when a bird suddenly began to call above her head. _Kak-kak-kak-kak-kak!_ She glared up, noticing a raptor of some kind hovering in the balmy air.

She wasn't watching her feet. She tripped over something. When she saw what, she bit back a scream.

A dead man, staring sightlessly at the sky. Eye sockets, empty — from the welts around his eyes, it looked like crows had gotten to them. The skin was sunken, desiccated. Four punctures in his neck. He was wearing a Takigakure headband.

Sakura noted all of this quickly, her medic mind already at work. But her stomach dipped, and she stumbled back from the body. Before she knew it, her legs had collapsed under her once again. She sat straight upright in the grass, breathing heavily, then gagged on the corpse's smell.

The body was under two weeks along in its decomposition. That would mean the man had died just before the fighting broke out. _Was this one more skeleton in Obito's closet? Or..._ _Those puncture marks... Could it be Orochimaru?_

Just then, she felt it. Madara's massive approaching chakra. Her body began to shake. Her wound reopened, causing white-hot pain as it dripped onto her fingers, pushing past the matted leaves.

She flinched as the huge chakra landed directly in front of her. There, not twenty feet away, stood her opponent.

The wind blew Madara's hair restlessly as he stared coldly at her. Sakura shivered, despite the warm breeze. This legendary shinobi had executed hundreds of victims, no doubt, and she was about to become the latest one. That mangy raven hair, the bloody-looking armor, would be the last things she would ever see. Her insides clenched.

His arms were crossed over his crimson breastplate, and his head lowered slightly to trace her blood splatters with his eyes. As he raised his head to look at her again, she saw something malicious in his expression — malicious and gleeful. Quickly, she looked away, avoiding his direct gaze, though she could still see his mouth, see his deadpan expression begin to change as his lips curled upwards. All she could think of was the dead shinobi next to her — that would be _her_ in a few seconds.

Madara grinned. "Ahh, Sakura. What ever shall I do with you now?"

 _I'm not going down without a fight!_

Mentally and physically, she steeled herself, preparing one last attempt to bring Madara down with her.

Of course, she failed in the end.

* * *

 _Bones, bones as far as the eye could see, under a rust-colored moon..._

Sakura had a brief, wide-eyed second of panic before she was thrown to the ground. As she twisted her body, she caught a glimpse of ivory-white teeth, an open maw coming for her throat—

 _The beast!_

Sakura screamed in terror as the beast fastened his jaws onto her, sinking teeth into her vulnerable neck. His wild white mane smothered her, choking her with the stench of old blood. Coarse hairs irritated her face, a stark contrast to the sheer sharp sting of his bite.

She struggled in his hold. The beast held his prey tighter, digging claws into her bare shoulders, making welts. Sakura felt the blood gurgle down her throat from the attack, and she began to choke.

And then the beast let go. He unclamped his jaws, but a split-second later, she felt his tongue, warm and vile, lapping at her blood. The claws began to trace her skin, as gentle as a caress, and she shivered. The beast's lips brushed against her... Either to taste her blood or to kiss her—

She heard the sudden shriek of a chidori, and the beast released her as he leaped back. A shinobi landed in between them.

Sasuke!

Chidori in one hand, sword in the other, Uchiha Sasuke challenged the beast. His back was to her, and she couldn't see his face, but she could see the clench of his jaw. He didn't say a word to her. Was he giving her an opening to escape?

Sakura made herself run, but concern had her looking back. The beast and Sasuke were engaged in a fierce dance. For each swipe the beast made with his brutal claws, Sasuke parried. The young man was fast, but the beast was far more cunning. He was maneuvering Sasuke expertly, cornering him against the trunk of the great and terrible tree. Sakura's heart leaped in her throat.

The beast stopped, tilting his head towards Sasuke, who stood ready to defend himself. Inexplicably, the beast raised a hand and beckoned. She heard Sasuke's startled gasp as all the energy was forcibly torn from his body, streaming into the air like a golden river and obeying the beast's wordless call. The steam of energy rushed to the beast, as he greedily absorbed it all.

Sasuke's chidori flickered out. As the young man struggled to reignite his current, the beast struck.

"Sasuke-kun!"

The beast had him! One clawed hand held Sasuke aloft by his throat, as the man she loved cursed and thrashed. Sakura screamed his name again.

And then the beast swelled and drew all his power into himself.

He climbed backwards up the holy tree, using hands and feet both like a chameleon. Now he hung upside down, hair wild and bloody over his face, save for his savage, dripping, grinning teeth. Sasuke dangled like a ragdoll from his grasp, no longer conscious.

"Now, dance even more for me!"

She heard the beast's gloating voice for the first time. To her surprise, it was smooth, so unlike his coarse appearance.

Chakra threads began to descend from his fingers, stringing Sasuke up. Sasuke's body flopped down from the tree. With his other hand, the beast sent down more threads, and Obi-Naruto was caught in his thrall. Sakura watched in horror as the beast controlled her boys until they spun and danced in the wind like puppets.

The beast's hands were blackened, she noticed. Something like oil dripped from his fingertips, spread like ink, corrupting the chakra lines, pumping into her boys—

Sakura felt sick and weak. She couldn't make herself look away from her two most precious people, even though there was nothing more she could do for them. That hesitation cost her, for in the next moment, she became aware that the beast's predatory gaze was now focused on _her_.

She took one step backward. Only one. Then the beast leaped from the tree.

And as Sakura ran in blind fear through the maze of bones, the thoughts wouldn't stop.

 _The beast is coming for me. I am next._

She was alone, and he would catch her soon. She had nowhere to hide in this barren wasteland.

She heard the beast's sadistic cackle behind her.

 _He wants to thread my blood like a necklace and drape it around his shoulders—_ _He wants to see my insides and peel them outwards, expose my flesh before devouring it…_ _He is a beast-god and I am simply a maggot before him…_ _He will pull the veil of life from me yet._

Suddenly, she couldn't run. Her feet pedaled uselessly, and terror rose in her throat. He was using his powers to draw her to him, the same way he had stolen Sasuke's chakra! With a mere flick of his wrist, he hurled Sakura through the air.

WHUMP! She crashed hard into the side of a boulder, pain lines cracking around her, though she was screaming before she even felt it. With terror like this, pain was only a formality.

Pinned to the bolder behind her— _The beast now in front of her!_

BAM! A fist that took away her breath. Blood, scattering from her mouth like cherry blossom petals.

He threw her into another rocky surface, pinned her again with an invisible force that felt so much like hands. She felt fists, cracking her sternum. Agony flowed through her.

She coughed blood, and the wind rippled. And right then she caught a glimpse…

No. No, she had to be imagining it. But she could have _sworn_ that someone was standing in front of her!

Impossible. The beast himself was still a distance away, smirking at her, chakra shroud blazing in the wind.

The invisible force attacked her again. This time, when she coughed, blood splattered the air in front of her. And this time, the blood splattered _against something._

She screamed. There was someone in front of her! No... Four someones to be precise. Apparitions? But there was something similar about them, as if they were shadows of each other, or someone else. She couldn't see their features, only knowing where they were by the blood that stained them, creating mere glimpses of them.

An invisible touch fluttered down the front of her shirt. A soft touch against her breasts. She started in alarm.

And then _it_ or rather _they_ were all over her. She could feel hands, this one pulling her hair, that one slapping her across the face, another one punching her in the stomach until she doubled over bellowing, and one evil hand cupping her—

As they attacked, she could see and smell them more clearly. They weren't just any shadows, no... They were _shadows of the beast himself!_ The beast continued to watch, while his horde of angry ghosts tore her limb from limb. _What kind of sorcery was this!?_

Four strong bodies pinned her against the stone. Her arms restrained. Her head wrenched back. She could feel breath in her hair, hot and rancid.

The beast was laughing now.

One of the invisible hands began plucking at her shirt. She gritted her teeth. Were they going to rip her apart?

 _As her shirt began to tear, she hoped desperately that this were all just some horrible dream—_

* * *

Voices. Terse and low, they greeted Sakura as she jolted back into reality with a clang of metal.

Before she could focus on what they were saying, pain lanced up her arms, and it felt as though her sockets were being wrenched out.

Her head hurt. She didn't dare open her eyes.

The air smelled dank, like wet stone, slightly metallic. If she focused, she could hear an echo, like the insides of a seashell. A faint noise, like water...

 _Drip._

...The clank of chains...

So. She was back in his cave... his prisoner now.

"Urgh." The pounding in her head worsened. Was she dehydrated? No... no, this was due to blood loss. _That's right..._ that was what that ache in her stomach was... Sakura's eyelids fluttered open.

She was in the huge room with the flowering tree, alone. _She was chained to the wall._

 _Drip._

This was not good. Sakura immediately tried her chains, but they wouldn't budge. Instead she was rewarded with a nasty twinge of pain in her abdomen.

Her stab wound!

Sakura looked down at her body, to where the gaping hole in her stomach ought to be. Through her ripped shirt, she could see the leaves, still clinging to her skin. She tried to summon her chakra. _Dammit!_ Either her chakra wasn't high enough, or... or Madara had drained her of her chakra. Her hands couldn't even reach her wound. She closed her eyes, focusing on the torn flesh, trying to assess the damage.

After a moment, her eyes popped open. Impossible! How-?

The damage was almost completely healed. There was still a large chunk carved out of her flesh, but her internal organs and larger blood vessels were intact! Had the leaves acted that quickly? No, that was silly... Could her body have healed while she was unconscious? She shook her head in self-consternation. Unless she had activated her seal, unconscious healing was impossible with such a severe wound. _But then..._ _The only other person around was..._ Her eyes widened. _Madara! Would he have...? Could he have healed her...?_

Where was Madara? Was he near her? She scanned with her senses but couldn't find him. It wouldn't matter. She wasn't a sensor type, and a shinobi of his prowess could hide himself from her easily if he so wished. Of this she had little doubt.

 _Drip._

The voices had back started up. They were coming from behind the huge doors that led to the hallway. She closed her eyes again, focusing.

"...finished."

"Much appreciated, old friend. Your work, as always, is exceptional." _That sounds like Madara,_ she thought, recognizing the deep voice. _W_ _ho is he talking to?_

"Anything else, Madara-sama?" The answering voice was hoarse and harsh, and fairly quiet. Sakura didn't miss the honorific the stranger had used. _Madara has someone serving him, then? But it doesn't sound like either of the Zetsus..._

"Just make one final sweep. See if I've missed any bodies. If you don't find any, there is no need to return to me."

 _Bodies?_ _What did he mean?_ Sakura's stomach lurched as bleached white bones flashed before her mind. _The graveyard of the beast looks so much like Mountains' Graveyard... How come I didn't realize it when we fought there?_ She began to shiver, though after a fashion she remembered the dead Takigakure shinobi she had stumbled across. _Is that what he meant?_ Slowly, her breathing calmed.

"Very well. I'll leave you alone with your playmate now."

 _"Manako."_ Madara's voice was a growl.

"Heh. Don't look so serious, Madara-sama. You don't want your wrinkles to get any worse."

"They aren't wrinkles." She could almost hear the indignation in Madara's voice. A pause. "They are overly large eye-bags."

Sakura nearly choked.

"'Overly large eye-bags'?" A wheezy chuckle. "Is that what they're calling them these days?"

"Tch. You're one to talk, you old buzzard."

"I call it as I see it!"

"So you say... See yourself out, then."

Another chuckle and then a rustling noise. Sakura assumed that this 'Manako' had left. There was a long silence. Then, quiet footsteps.

Sakura barely heard the doors to the hallway open. The only indicator was the slight rush of air that accompanied it. And then the footsteps continued steadily in her direction. She kept her eyes closed.

Low singing reached her ears:

 _"First I danced with you in the hallways,  
_ _Then we danced in between the bones,  
_ _Then we danced up in the skies…  
_ _Then I knocked you out and dragged you home."_

Caveman, indeed.

The footsteps stopped in front of her. She could _feel him_ watching her.

"You..."

She stilled at his voice. It wouldn't do any good to pretend, though. He must know she was awake. She opened her eyes.

His head was lowered. But his eyes were burning into hers, malevolent red shining through the dark of the cave.

"...You didn't seriously imagine that you were going to escape me, did you?"

And then he smiled. It was as if the devil himself were smiling at her.

She gulped. "It was worth a shot, wasn't it?" Her throat ached when she spoke. Madara chuckled under his breath, and then he calmly strode up to her. She raised her chin and tried to swallow her sudden panic. He came to a stop just inches before her, cocking his head to one side as he regarded her.

"Are you always this troublesome?" he asked.

Then he smacked her across the face.

* * *

"You know, I must commend you for having lasted so long against me."

Sakura's face was a mess of bruises now. It had only been five minutes, and aside from her grunts of pain, she had yet to say a word to him past her first sentence. He wasn't one for long silences, not when he had company at least. He had been trying to goad her into conversation all the while, but she wouldn't bite.

Sakura's lips tightened, making the bruises around her mouth stand out more, and she continued to glare at the far wall. It seemed she was still resisting him. Was she angry? After such a magnificent showing, he would have thought she'd be proud.

"On a scale of one to a thousand, I would have to say that you are the third most entertaining person I have ever fought..." he stated casually. That got a reaction; Sakura's head jolted up in surprise.

 _"Third?!"_ He couldn't tell what her tone meant. Was she surprised she ranked so highly on his list, or insulted that she wasn't placed higher? Knowing her self-doubts around her teammates, Madara betted it was the former. Especially given the slightly horrified expression on her face. "...W-why?"

"Firstly of course is Hashirama, the only man who has ever truly been capable of killing me. The only man who is my equal." Madara spared a small smile at the thought of his best friend. "Second is that taijutsu guy I fought recently, the Green Beast or whoever he was." He grinned. "That damned lunatic nearly killed me! And then you... you nearly cornered me, you little devil!" His grin widened. "If your medical ninjutsu had been slightly more powerful, you could have made my death quite inevitable and painful. And you would have taken me completely by surprise in the process. That is the most entertaining part!"

"Well, you must not have fought many people then..." _Aside from the entirety of the Shinobi Alliance all at once, among others_. Sakura winced. "Why aren't Naruto and Sasuke higher on that list?"

"Because they never _surprised_ me. Oh, they were quite powerful, yes, much more so than you... but theirs was a straightforward kind of power, no mystery, no _intrigue_. Fighting with them was good exercise, but it hardly made my blood dance the way you three did."

"Oh..."

Madara had stopped hitting her. Now he crouched in front of her, face inches apart from hers. She could see something almost _appreciative_ in his expression, from the slight twitch of his lips, to the near-softening of his eye-bags... _Madara was admiring her._ Whether because of the sheer weirdness of the thought, or because of her leftover battle adrenaline, Sakura snapped again.

"Your plan isn't going to work!" she ranted. The gleam left Madara's eyes and now he regarded her apathetically. "You know that, right?! For one thing, Sasuke would actually have to care that you have me, in order for you to use me against him!"

 _Sasuke, Sasuke, always Sasuke with her._ "Oh?" he asked, to humor her into continuing. She didn't disappoint.

"He doesn't care. He tried to kill me, twice in fact! Believe me when I say he doesn't care. If you told him you have me as your captive, he'd tell you to finish me off yourself."

"Really?" Now, he knew some things had happened to cause Sakura's pained look whenever she spoke of him, but... Sasuke had tried to kill her _twice?!_ Then why on Earth was she still loyal to him, he wondered.

"He hates me. So, you see, your plan won't work."

"And what makes you think that was my plan in the first place?"

"...So you're planning on some other way of getting to Sasuke? And what were you going to use me for? Huh?!"

He almost chuckled at her insistent belligerence. "What on Earth made you think I was planning on going after Sasuke at all?"

"Wha... Is this some sort of a joke to you!?" she scowled.

"Ahh, Sakura. So overprotective and quick to assume..." He flicked her forehead. "Tell me, did you really believe I was going after Sasuke, or were you merely looking for an excuse to battle? A pretense for escape, perhaps? If so, it would be very shrewd of you."

"What-?"

"Or were you so determined to think the worst of me," his voice grew colder, "despite how we were warming to each other's presence?" _After all, it would hardly be the first time in world history that I was accused of something I did not do._

"W-what are you talking about?! Answer me!"

"I have no intention of using Sasuke to resurrect Izuna," he spoke plainly. "I have no intention of going after Sasuke at all."

"Oh. O-oh." Sakura seemed thrown off for a moment, before snapping furious green eyes at him. "Wait... wait a minute! I don't believe you. Don't you dare try and bullshit me! I'm smarter than that!"

"But think about it..." Madara's voice was deceptively gentle. Like the finest of breezes, it washed over the captive girl. "If I really wanted to go after Sasuke, would I not have taken an earlier opportunity to do exactly that? For that matter, if I intended to resurrect Izuna, would I not have done so on the battlefield long before now? I could have easily had Black Zetsu sneak up on Sasuke and force him to perform the Rinne Rebirth Jutsu, once Sasuke gained that Rinnegan in his left eye." He ignored the fact that Black Zetsu was a dirty traitor for the moment.

Sakura looked troubled now. He could see that she was considering his points, trying to find faults with them. He pressed on.

"To resurrect Izuna now would be to go against the natural order of things." His voice turned solemn. "My little brother is gone. All four of my brothers are dead. There is no bringing them back, no matter how much I wish for them."

"But what about you? What justified bringing you back, then?"

"I had a duty I needed to perform. That is why I came back. I needed to make the dream world a reality for everyone else. I had to save the fate of this world..."

"B-but your own dream about your brother..." There was something almost desperate in her eyes now, though desperate for what, Madara did not know, "The one you told me about the other night, when we were talking-?"

"It was a dream, and nothing more."

Sakura exhaled slowly. When she met his gaze, he saw remorse.

"Then... I don't suppose it's too late to apologize for misjudging you?"

Madara perked up. "Really?"

"I'm sorry, Madara." He could hear nothing but sincerity in her words.

He felt something in him warm. When was the last time he had received a genuine apology from anyone? "You know," he smiled at her, "it speaks volumes to your character that you apologized of your own volition. It takes guts and personal integrity to do that at the risk of humiliation. I commend you for it, Sakura." He paused. "...But to answer your question, yes, it's far too late for that."

Her breath caught.

"You raised your hand to me and then tried to escape. Worse still, you doubted me." His voice turned silky and sinister. "You must be punished for that."

The fear was back in her eyes. He shook his head, amused.

"But first, a question... would you _really_ go that far, for _him?_ A man who tried twice over to take your life, and yet you still find him to be worthy of your affections... You fought me before to protect him, and now you're at my mercy because of him. He means that much to you, does he? Enough that you would never renounce him?"

 _Him._ She didn't need to ask who Madara meant.

"I would do anything for Sasuke."

"I can see that."

 _I would do anything for Sasuke… Including say 'no' to him, because this hatred, this vengeance, wouldn't be healthy for Sasuke. And it takes more courage to stand up to your friends than it does your enemies. That's what real love is…_

"Do your worst."

Madara seized her throat.

"As you wish."

* * *

An hour later, Sakura groaned silently. Though her consciousness swam, she hadn't passed out yet.

She was beginning to wish she had. Madara had brought her to the brink of collapse over and over again, only to pull her back at the last second. Her eyes must be bloodshot by now. Swallowing hurt; she didn't need a mirror to know that her neck must be mottled with red marks. Strangulation marks. But that hurt was minor compared to the new pain in her abdomen.

Shuddering, she tried not to look at the black rod now protruding from her previous stab wound. There was one in her shoulder too. Their application was painful enough, until Madara showed her what he could _really_ do with them. Pouring his chakra into them, he had heated them until they glowed, and she writhed in agony. This was probably why her stomach wound wasn't making more trouble; he seemed to have cauterized the tissues around the rod. Not that he had needed to _twist_ the rods to check this… _That was unnecessary,_ Sakura thought with a growl.

She cut her eyes upward. Madara's raven eyes looked down on her imperiously. She had already tried in vain to struggle loose from her manacles, calling fruitlessly on her chakra to aid her. Madara had seemed amused by her efforts, until he had decided to shock her shackles with a mere thought. It was then that Sakura understood: Madara was in control here. These chains, directly connected to his own chakra, could drain or restrain her however he desired. She could be flat on her back on the floor, or raised above him until her shoulders dislocated. Madara controlled everything about her fate from here on out.

She raised her head, refusing to show distress. As Madara bent to examine her, Sakura realized that one of his eyes was slightly lighter than the other... The right one was a shade greyer than the left one.

She focused on Madara's left eye. She did _not_ want to be looking into Sasuke's eye while he tortured her.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" she nearly snarled as he poked his finger into a wound on her arm.

He answered casually. "Until I'm bored."

"And then what?" she hissed in pain as his nail dug into the torn flesh. "Gonna kill me then?"

"We'll see…" He withdrew his finger and licked the blood off. "Why are you so eager to die?"

She didn't answer him. She didn't need to. _Death is just a formality in a situation like this. He's not torturing me for information, nor to use me against Sasuke – he said this himself. And let's face it… no one's going to find me in time. Madara is too good at hiding; he hid for decades while everyone else on Earth thought him to be dead. I'll be stuck with him until he finally decides to kill me._ She tried not to let the thoughts overwhelm her. Instead, she straightened her back. _I am a shinobi. I will not do anything to embarrass the Leaf. I will show him no weakness._

"You brought your bed down here?" she said instead. "Why?"

"You'll need it, once I am done with you."

She shivered.

"And just what are you going to do to me?"

"Patience."

He paced. His head was thrown back, and there was an almost young look on his face. His lips were twitching up, as though he were barely holding back a smile. Sakura scowled. He had removed his armor and tunic hours ago, and his chest muscles rippled in the torchlight. She could see the large shiny scar where the implant had been, over his heart. _I should never have healed him,_ she thought. And yet, that thought came with a slight sting to it. Until they fought… until _she_ had started it… they were getting along. She had even begun to see glimpses of a better person in him.

 _Did I set all that back?_ she wondered, guilt flickering in her once again.

"Before we continue, I must ask you something..."

"What is it?" she asked reluctantly.

"Where did you learn such a ghastly technique?"

She started. "Which one?"

"The one you tried to use on me in the end. The one where you meant to steal my awareness of the entire world."

"You mean the Five Senses Blinding Technique?" Her head lowered, as if she couldn't meet his gaze. But there was no tension, Madara noticed; rather her body had slumped. Was she...ashamed of herself?

"Yes. That one."

"...I never should have used it," she murmured.

"Why? Because it failed?"

She seemed to ponder his words.

"Do not feel disheartened by that. If it had been any other shinobi, they would have been felled by your jutsu." He didn't see the need to discourage her talents, even if it _was_ a dangerous skill she was capable of. After all, he always appreciated skill in a fellow ninja.

"It's a jutsu of my own invention." She gritted her teeth. "I invented it while I was trying to research bringing back Sasuke. It wasn't for him," she said, glaring at Madara's curious look. "It was because we knew he was with Orochimaru, and _Kabuto_ was always at Orochimaru's side. Naruto and Lady Tsunade told me about a fight they'd had with Kabuto once. He's one of the deadliest medic-nins in the whole world." She shivered. "I know how sick he is. I was trying to imagine what kinds of jutsu he might use, in case we were ever forced to fight with him. I knew chances were high that I would be the one to face him, since I'm a fellow medic..." She continued rambling, seemingly no longer concerned with whether Madara was listening or not. "I wanted to think on his level, so I tried to imagine the jutsu he would use, in order to develop appropriate countermeasures. I invented that jutsu _by accident_." She shivered again, and this time she couldn't seem to stop. "I knew it was exactly the kind of thing Kabuto would use on someone. On _me_."

"Your wrath is truly a thing of beauty to witness."

Her shuddering abruptly ceased. Her gaze darted to the floor. "I...I was in another state of mind then."

"So you usually refrain from such jutsu in battle? But why? Don't tell me it's because your mentor forbade you from using them against an attacking enemy-"

"It's because of my _own_ morals that I don't use those moves!"

"You shouldn't be ashamed. Your conduct was befitting a true shinobi."

"...Shut up..." she whispered in defeat.

"Very well. For now."

Blearily she looked up at him. There was no mockery in his tone. Instead, after giving her a long, considering look, he spun around and walked to the wooden chair that stood in the center of the room near the bed. He sat down upon his throne and closed his eyes. If she hadn't been staring at him, she would have missed the slight twitch of his fingers. Her chains relaxed, allowing her to slump forward onto her knees.

 _Was...was that it? He was going to beat the hell out of her and then... just take a nap? Just like that?!_ She knew her anger was extreme; it flared in her suddenly, and if she were honest, she knew deep down that it was anger at herself for breaking her own morals. And for _what?_ For Madara to beat her and then throw it back in her face?!

Sakura yelled as she gave her chains a ferocious pull.

She stopped. Madara had opened one eye to regard her warily. He chuckled to himself before closing it again.

The chains hadn't budged an inch.

* * *

"The first part of our inquiry is over. Now it is time to move to the next level..."

"I-inquiry?" Sakura croaked through split lips. Once Madara had awoken from his nap, he had returned to his newest hobby — torturing her. He must have been in a good mood, or perhaps choking her was too boring for him, Sakura thought. He'd gone back to beating her with his bare fists. As a legendary shinobi, he more than knew how to make it hurt.

"Now that you're in better spirits, I wanted to go back to a matter you'd brought up." Madara ignored her question. "You said you don't use those moves of yours because of your morals... but you did yesterday, when you were facing me in battle."

 _Yesterday? Just how much time had passed?!_

"Just what would it take to bend your morals all the way?" Madara casually took one of her hands and began to twist her wrist counterclockwise. The stress on the joint became painful far too quickly.

"W-what?" she gasped.

"What would it take to make you become like Obito or me?" Madara released the pressure on her joint, but didn't release her wrist. "What would it take to make you give up on your own dearly held morals? What would it take to convince you that this reality is not worth living in, to give up all hope of the so-called 'good intentions' of humanity?" He leaned forward and without warning gave the black rod in Sakura's abdomen a sharp push. Sakura cried out. "What would it take to completely and utterly _break_ -" he snapped her wrist, and Sakura screamed, "-your vision for world peace?"

"W-what are you going to d-d-do to me?"

"I'm going to test you." Madara stepped back to contemplate his handiwork. "And by the end of it, assuming you survive, it won't be only myself who knows you better."

She quailed as he suddenly lunged for her throat again.

"...It will be you as well!"

One hand on her throat, one hand clenching her hair. Sakura's head was forced back. His presence was overwhelming, formidable. He didn't choke her; her own fear of this man, this _beast,_ did that.

"At first, I had merely sought to break you, as recompense for all the Senju clan stole from Uchiha. After all, you're a disciple of _that woman_ , and… in a way, you're her very legacy. Which means that you're part of the Senju legacy through her. But your ideas intrigue me, Sakura. So I have decided to do something else instead… I am going to test your ideals. Tell me—no, _show_ me that this world peace you speak of is possible… starting with _yourself!_ "

Sakura's body was shaking like a leaf. She couldn't stop the soft whimpers of pain and fear that escaped her. Madara spoke over her, his booming voice echoing off the walls of the cave.

"Show me what the Will of Fire is good for!"

* * *

Minutes of torture became hours of agony, or so she imagined. Pain quickly distorts a person's ability to keep track of time. Perhaps that was the theory behind the torture in the world of Tsukuyomi. She would have to ask Kakashi-sensei about that, assuming she ever saw him again. She cursed herself silently for her borderline optimism.

 _No... Don't scorn good thoughts! That just means he'll win, that he's succeeded in breaking you!_ Sakura's inner voice argued with her. Was that her Inner Sakura? It had been so many years since she'd heard her. Somehow, she thought she'd become her other self over time, making it unnecessary for them to be separate people... but was it possible her inner self had actually disappeared?

More than once spots began to dance over her eyes, and so after a long while, she simply closed them. What was the point in keeping her eyes open, anyway? It only seemed to make the pain more vivid and prolonged.

What did Madara want anyway? Did he want Sakura to renounce her ideals? She couldn't anyway, no matter what he did to her. It was a matter of reality — Naruto had already succeeded in making the dream for world peace a shared ideal amongst the Five Nations. Sure it hadn't resulted in an increase of medics worldwide, but with Tsunade-shishou on the council, it was only a matter of time. _I could sure use a medic right now,_ she thought ruefully. _Or my chakra back..._

She knew from the sound of Madara's voice that he was in front of her again. She could even tell from the direction that he was facing the ceiling and not her. She kept her eyes closed.

"Hmph. In my day, we left our enemies' shattered bodies on the battlefield. Leaving the battleground alive at all was a luxury barely earned. And as you know, I was _particularly_ proficient at killing my enemies. As such, it has been a very long time since I last tortured someone. You could even say I've never fully gotten to, aside from the occasional prisoner of war from rival clans. But they expired quickly rather than betray their comrades. Please be sure and tell me how I do… I don't want to disappoint you."

Her eyes were still closed. She thought she felt him punch her, but she couldn't be sure. Everywhere hurt already.

"I must admit, torture isn't my usual brand of entertainment. Perhaps you will change that for me."

* * *

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

Thumb in wound. "Are you awake?"

A slight shudder. But she was barely aware of it. The rocks, the wind, the water... Who know who she really was anymore... Who knew which one had really moved?

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

A hard smack.

 _Why are you doing this? Do I know something you don't?_

"Think about it, girl. Why would I torture you for information? With the Sharingan, I can find whatever information I wish and rip it forcefully from your mind. No, this torture… is for my own amusement."

 _I-I answered him. I spoke out loud. Or was it the rocks that spoke in my place? Can he hear me?_

"And as for why am I doing this... Because I _can_ , Sakura. Did you really think you could make an escape attempt without some form of punishment? You _deserve_ this."

She couldn't argue with him. She was too delirious to do so.

 _Drip._

 _Drip._

"...Don't go to sleep yet."

 _I couldn't if I wanted to. Can't you see how hard I've been trying to since you started doing this to me?_

"Don't rest! We are just getting started! We have so much more to do yet... And I thought that you didn't want to go to sleep. You refused my dream world, after all. And for what?"

 _Drip._

"Oh Sakura..."

 _Drip._

"You don't know how it inspires me to see you like this."

 _How...much...longer..._

"Perhaps a few more hours... If you're good."

 _Please, please, just let me die!_ she tried to say. Had she succeeded?

"I don't think so." Yes, she had. "It benefits me to keep you this way."

* * *

Pain forced her to sleep. Agony often woke her back up again. It wasn't always agony that Madara inflicted.

She was so hungry. It felt like her body was eating itself. She was convinced her guts were full of holes. Her mind wasn't making any sense.

"Your talking has distracted me."

But she hadn't been speaking at all. Madara didn't make sense either.

"It seems you have managed to distract me from the task at hand. Well done. But from now on, there will be no more distractions."

And then she choked. It was different than when he had his hands wrapped around her neck. This time, there was something in her mouth. On impulse she tried to eat it, and gagged.

Her left eye, which wasn't swollen shut, opened. She could see the rough cloth over her lower face. A gag.

"Feel free to scream as much as you like. It won't bother me a bit. Assuming you can actually scream much through that cloth in your mouth… I might even think about removing it, if you're good."

 _Why would I scream?_

She really ought to have been more careful about what she thought. It was almost as though she were tempting fate.

She saw the glint of metal in Madara's hands. Felt the wind as the nunchaku whipped through the air—

CRACK!

She screamed, muffled though it was. As best she could through both a gag and a newly broken nose.

* * *

Sometimes she was much too alert. Like now. Madara must have been cooking, because her body had jolted wide awake suddenly, and with it, her agony.

"You need to keep up your strength. Open your mouth."

She did, wincing at the renewed pain in her nose. When had the gag disappeared? Did it happen when she began sucking the blood out of it out of sheer hunger?

Warm- some kind of bean soup, carefully spooned into her mouth. Her body roared with famishment, but she ate slowly, weakly. The clone kept feeding her. From this closeness, she could smell the wood that made up its cells. It was strange to her how she could still smell through her broken nose, and stranger still that despite losing Shodai-sama's implant, somehow Madara had retained that small ability. But how?

He fed her until she had eaten a safe amount.

"Very good."

* * *

He took the rod out of her abdomen sometime later. It hurt going out.

Before she could breathe a sigh of relief, he set her hands and legs on fire. She screamed and screamed until he put them out.

The charred remains of her shorts slowly peeled off over the next several hours. Fortunately her pink skirt had survived the blaze and remained covering her.

Not that she cared by now. He had been allowing her to use a bucket to relieve herself. At first she had pulled down her shorts on her own, until he broke her wrist. Then one of his clones would pull them down for her, while two others would restrain her arms (or was it their way of holding her up so she didn't fall?). After she was finished, her shorts were replaced, while a clone would empty the bucket.

Burned-away shorts just removed the need for two of those steps. Not that she noticed. She had more pressing concerns.

Like the new blisters all over her hands and legs. Like how much worse her broken right wrist hurt now. Like the fact that he still hadn't removed the rod from her left shoulder, and who knew what evil pain he would inflict on her there?

At least the flames had cauterized her abdomen wound again. _Count the small blessings,_ she told herself feverishly.

* * *

He kept feeding her. He kept hurting her. She didn't realize it was possible to feel so much pain for so long, and still be alive.

He was exceptionally cruel when he decided to break every toe on one of her feet. Through her screams, he promised he'd break the toes on her other foot later, then left again to take a nap.

But what she guessed was hours later, instead of him carrying out his threat, she vaguely saw a green glow through closed eyelids, and soon after she felt the soothing flow of healing chakra.

* * *

The next time she awoke it was to Madara's wood clones pulling at her remaining clothes. There was a moment of slight alarm, and then pain — one of the clones had jostled her broken wrist as they removed her shirt. She shivered; they reminded her much too much of the beast's shadows.

"I hope you will forgive my temporary disregard for your modesty…" she heard Madara say. "You see, there is something I wish to study about you."

The clones had finished undressing her. Without warning, she felt herself hurtled through the air.

SPLASH! The coldness of the water shocked her system. She started to scream, but water began to fill her throat, and she choked instead. Fear gripped her for the first time in hours. She knew she should want this, just want to drown until she could no longer be his captive-

A clone pulled her to the surface. She gasped in the air. They were standing in a pit filled with water. The pit itself wasn't too deep; the clones could stand easily. But Sakura, with her injured body, could barely keep herself afloat. Luckily the clones took care of that for her. She saw that Madara was watching her from the edge of the pit.

"First, let's clean you up."

The clones began scrubbing her skin, not sparing an inch. She yelped, first in embarrassment, then in pain. Who cared about modesty when each scrub of the sponges aggravated her wounded and broken body?

The clones hauled her out of the water. She slumped to the ground, unable to support herself. One of the clones took the opportunity to chain her back up. She hadn't even really processed that she had been out of the manacles. Not that it mattered. There was no way she could escape. _She'd been stupid to try before,_ she realized. _So very stupid._

"Now, rise. Activate your seal, and heal yourself."

 _Wait..._

 _...WHAT?!_

Why was he asking this of her? Didn't he realize she had no chakra to do this with? And why the hell did he want her to heal herself anyway? Didn't he want her to suffer? Why _should_ she heal herself — when he would likely just torture her into brokenness again? Just how long was this charade going to go on? She didn't know how long she had been lost in her thoughts, but it must have been long enough, for she heard Madara's long-suffering sigh.

"I don't suppose you would heal yourself now?"

Her mumble came slurred, almost drunk-sounding through her broken nose. "I'd rather die than do anything you tell me to."

"Heh heh heh… Admirable intentions, no doubt, but foolish. You know as well as I do that if you refuse, I will force you to do it. So, unless you feel up to dealing with my Sharingan, I'd suggest you heal yourself now."

The pains were more ferocious now. Sakura squeezed her eyes shut in despair. It was then she realized that it wasn't that she _wouldn't_ do it — it was that she _couldn't_ , even if she wanted to.

"Very well then."

She heard Madara rise and move to her side. His fingers touched her forehead lightly, and she opened her eyes. Basic Sharingan drew her gently in, until she was no longer in control of her own movements.

She felt her hands raise, the small amount that they could while in shackles... Felt the white-hot pain in her wrist as he forced her hands into position-

 _"Release!"_ she heard her own voice command.

The seal on her forehead burned. She shivered as the seal lapped against the empty dredges. If he forced her to do this when she had no chakra, then she would die anyway!

Then, warm chakra flooded through her, overwhelming and _so, so welcome!_ Her body arched with it. She let out a sharp cry of relief, though she noticed the potent chakra smelled slightly of sulphur — or perhaps that was a side effect of her broken nose? But how-?

As her vision cleared, she saw that the chains were glowing gold. And then she understood. She looked up at Madara, who had his own hands in front of his chest formed in a seal. He was channelling his own chakra into her chains, into _her_. Refreshed, the seal painted itself across her skin.

And then the healing began.

Sakura couldn't stop the gasps from escaping her. It was now that she understood why it was called "Creation Rebirth". It would shorten her natural lifespan to use this, but in that moment, the caster of the jutsu truly felt as if they had been reborn.

Her wrist snapped back into place, but there was no pain. The cells knit themselves together. Her nose, only partially healed from Madara's ministrations the night before, crackled a little as the cartilage healed itself. The black rod made a dull clanging noise as the healing forced it out of her shoulder, the skin smoking. The burns on her legs and hands were fading.

Sakura's eyes were wide open now. There was a greenish film over her vision. She saw Madara kneeling before her, eyes intent on her whole body. She had the presence of mind to blush; his gaze was so intense. It was as if he was looking all through her, _inside her_. She felt herself consumed by his rapt attention.

His hands were flying, moving over a scroll. She realized he was copying the jutsu.

The seal pulsed. Sakura could feel that the reserves were almost completely full once again. How? How was it possible that Madara had managed to refill her seal?! After she had drained it again and again?

 _Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop! Pop!_ Now her toes were back in place. Her body was nearly completely healed. But her gaze remained locked with Madara's, even as the seal began to recede on her body, drawing back into the diamond on her large forehead.

Madara finished writing swiftly. As the last of the seal faded on her body, he drew up the scroll and sealed it with a flourish.

"Thank you, Sakura. You have been most cooperative."

He started to walk away, when he heard her grunt.

"So you're just going to leave me here like this?!"

He turned around, amusement glinting in his gaze. "Do you have a problem with it?"

"I thought you said your disregard for my modesty was _temporary_ ," she gritted. Now that her body was healed, any delirium she had felt before was gone. In place of a broken wretch, the fiery kunoichi was resurrecting herself.

"Hmm, true," he mused. "Then again, I have been known to lie."

He had her against the wall in an instant. Her arms wrenched painfully; she realized that he had pulled her by her chains. His fingers wrapped around the links, making them clank together.

He was standing so close to her that she could feel his hair tickling her bare breasts. He loomed over her.

"You know, I could make your breathing temporary too. What do you think, Sakura? Another hour of on and off breathing? And you just healed yourself so well, too. Would your body writhe under mine as soon as your breath cuts off? Would you soil yourself?"

She glared at him.

"But then again, perhaps that doesn't scare you... Your master trained you well, did she not?" His eyes narrowed. "You've withstood my physical punishments quite remarkably, considering how completely I physically broke you. But what about the tortures of the mind? Did she teach you to resist those? Did your precious shishou teach you to keep your emotions in check as an enemy ravages you mentally and rips everything you knew from you? To willingly lose your sense of self and survive only to perpetuate this vile shinobi system you live in?"

Then, something calculating entered into his face. He drew back slightly, and his eyes swept lower on her body. His hands brushed against her shoulders, forcing them back, baring her chest to him.

"Perhaps... there is _another_ way to make you writhe."

Shock coursed through her. She started shivering as he lowered them to the ground, manipulating her chains to force her to kneel.

"Surely you were prepared for an eventuality like this when you left home for war, were you not? Or have you only mastered yourself as a tool of the village rather than as a woman, Sakura?" His hands crept up her thighs. "Was your master's training incomplete?" He lifted her suddenly, forcing her legs apart and pulling her forward so that she straddled him. Her body clenched, desperately wanting to close up on itself again. There was something unsettling about his eyes now, as if even the minuscule light previously there had been snuffed. "It is standard practice amongst lesser shinobi to resort to such an assault."

"But you're not a lesser shinobi…" Her own eyes were wide.

"True, I am not, but I have been known to adopt their tactics from time to time, if it seems prudent." His gloved fingers traced down her shoulder. He tilted his head. "Will this break you, I wonder?"

She just shook her head. Somehow, she was strangely separated from the reality that she was naked, that _this_ was really happening and Madara really was threatening to rape her. _This doesn't seem right. There's something off about it,_ she thought dazedly.

"Why do you look so surprised?"

"I didn't think you would stoop this far!" she blurted out.

"Tell me, Sakura, is there anywhere you think I _haven't_ stooped?"

She frowned at him as though confused. Her thoughts were molasses-slow. "But, you're above-"

"And how would you know? How do you know my morals have not fallen into the gutter, _along with everything else?!"_ he growled suddenly. His sudden rage had him pulling the chains even more taut, wrenching her body in time to their clanking. "I have been down here in this cave for who-knows-how-long, Sakura. I've been disgraced from my own clan — people speak of me as they speak of the Shinigami itself! I am the reaper, the bane and the hatred of the proud and infamous Uchiha, the boogeyman of the entire shinobi world! _Madara the_ _Murderer_ ," he spat. _"_ What's one more sin upon my conscience? Just what code of honor do you think I have left, Sakura?"

A hand found her left breast.

She felt so disconnected suddenly. It was as if she was watching him touch her from outside of herself. She only hoped she could remain so detached when he actually did… _that_.

"So you don't mind this, Sakura?" He twisted her nipple cruelly. "Here you are, allowing a strange shinobi man, your _enemy_ , to touch you so willingly? Do you always act so loosely with the enemy?" His rough armor brushed against her chest and between her legs, making her skin pucker and shiver. The room was painfully cold. "Or with any man? Hmm… What would Sasuke think?"

Sasuke didn't matter. Really, he never had, when it came to this. She'd wanted her feelings for him to matter, true, but she was under no delusions that Sasuke had ever thought of her _this_ way before, and it would only hurt her worse if she pretended he did.

The rest of Madara's taunt echoed at her, and her thoughts cleared. She _had,_ in fact, been prepared for such an eventuality. All shinobi were. Yes, she was still a virgin. Yes, it would be upsetting if he were to do this… She had little doubt that he would make it as humiliating as possible, all to hurt her psychologically. But it did not constitute a threat to life or limb. It was much better than being stabbed or beaten or physically tortured again. She couldn't heal with her chakra blocked. So her physical well-being was of the utmost priority right now. Those were her thoughts as a shinobi of the Hidden Leaf. _A soldier._

She raised her chin and looked at him steadily. "Do your worst."

Right then, something shifted in his eyes. The harshness had gone from his expression. His hand withdrew from her breast. Then he was bending forward, and his hair fell on her chest. He was in her ear, her hair, inhaling ever so softly. Before he exhaled, she felt his lips settle on her, in the junction between her neck and her collarbone, and when he breathed out, his breath was warm on her. Goosebumps erupted all over her body.

He let his lips linger for a long moment before pressing them once to her skin. Her breathing hitched. It was almost like… a kiss…

When he withdrew from her, it felt as if time had slowed.

"As you wish."

She immediately searched his eyes, trying to see what he meant by that. That proved to be her mistake. Mangekyou Sharingan bloomed in her vision, black tadpoles swimming in a red lake.

And a moment later, Sakura was no longer in the cave.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N: Hi, my friends! :)

This chapter was incredibly hard to write. I would deeply appreciate your constructive feedback. Flashback sequences are such a pain! Did I keep Madara enough in character? Are there any suggestions for how I could have written this smoother or more interesting? Should I rewrite this chapter (my self-doubts are telling me I should)? Urgh, they say that the hardest chapters to write are the ones with the greatest potential learning experiences, so... help me learn, please? ^_^

Thank you for your reviews last chapter! You guys had some absolutely beautiful insights into both Sakura and Madara (as well as rightly calling Madara out on his assholishness). You were able to see underneath the underneath as to what's going on inside of each of them. It's killing me not to give spoilers, but you guys are on track! That's all I'll say! And now, for the infamous Chapter 13 (though, considering my son was born on a 13th, I find it's a lucky number instead)... I wonder what lurks in store for our adventurers...

Thank you and enjoy! :D

~SectumSemprae

* * *

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER THIRTEEN-

 **-/-**

A blinding white light.

Sakura sat, in the space between two worlds, and listened. All she could hear was the steady thrum of her own heartbeat. _I'm still alive..._

Or was she? It was hard to tell. Her heartbeat could be an illusion.

There was a void around her. She could hear traces of noise, as if she were underwater. There was no ground, no walls nor ceiling... just this white emptiness that buzzed and hummed with her thoughts.

Sakura got to her feet. "Where am I?" she asked herself aloud.

"Don't you recognize your own mind?" came an answer. She spun around.

Behind her stood a dark silhouette - a shadow against the white. The spikes of his hair seemed to tear at the tranquil blankness around her. Her fists clenched in cold fury.

 _"Madara."_

Suddenly, it was as if a million pounds of pressure had come down on her from above. She sank to her knees, and to her horror, she couldn't stand again. It reminded her of when Kaguya had warped them to that world where the gravity was almost unbearable... that world where Obito had turned into ashes.

Madara, by contrast, had no trouble in remaining exactly as he was. Horror and violation flooded through Sakura. _This was HER mind!_ Or so he had said. How could he reduce her to this inside of her own mind-?

Suddenly she remembered. Chained to the wall, naked... _He had been about to-!_ Frantically she felt herself and let out a tiny sigh. At least she was clothed here, and her body was healthy and intact. But she was still at his mercy. Fear doubled in her guts.

"Who is...Haruno Sakura?"

His deep voice reverberated from where he stood, a ripple of chakra through the listening air. She felt it buzz against her like a physical thing. "...What?"

Finally, he turned to face her. His eyes were blood-red, emitting an unnatural glow, staining the whiteness around them. Everything about him simply... _corrupted_.

He took a step toward her. Sakura's heartbeat sped up. Subtly she tried to get up, to move away from him somehow, but she couldn't budge an inch.

"Who is the girl who would seek out world peace?"

"You know who I am already!" Sakura gritted, trying to mask her fear. "What I want to know is who the hell are you, to do this to me? Physical torture is bad enough, but making me a prisoner in my own head?" She scoffed. "That's a new kind of low."

When Madara shook his head, his hair moved from side to side. A pinging, like a wind chime caught in a high breeze, echoed from everywhere. "It is standard Uchiha practice to go inside our opponents' heads. You should never have looked into my eyes."

"You shouldn't be in here to begin with-" Sakura started, then paused. "What are you doing in my mind, anyway?"

"Looking for something."

"Something?" She had to crane her neck up to look at him properly.

"Your reason. The reason you go on. The reason you seek world peace."

"I told you-"

"Seeing is believing." He was directly in front of her now, bending forward. His hand reached out to touch her hair, but instead it only moved the air near her. The air itself caressed her as Madara clearly meant to. Sakura shivered.

"You have told me that yourself and your teammates have been through ordeals. I want to see with my own eyes what you're talking about."

"What?" Familiar figures flashed behind her in the mist, visible only to Madara for a brief instant before vanishing. "You came here to go through my memories? Well you can just go to hell, I'm not about to show you those! Those are private." She shook a fist at him. "And if you try to force me to relive them, then you'd better prepare yourself for a fight! _Shannaro!"_ she barked.

"I believe that you will show me of your own accord." As Madara spoke, there were ripples in the air. A ripple of yellow, as if there were sunlight beyond the void of whiteness... A ripple of shadow... Sakura gasped, finally noticing how the world seemed to shift, reacting all around her... But to what?

"It is already happening. As your mind struggles not to remember, you cannot help but think of those exact memories."

"Wh-" Sakura caught her breath as a familiar silhouette stopped just beyond the reach of detail. She would know that spiky hair anywhere. And if he was here, then that meant _he_ was coming too...

Frantically, Sakura tried to block her thoughts. To her horror, she realized Madara was right: the more she tried not to think of Naruto and Sasuke, the faster they materialized. They were gaining colors now... She would be able to see their faces soon enough. And so would Madara.

 _Think of something else... Think of anything! Math equations... Antidote ingredients..._

"Give in, Sakura," Madara's voice was quiet. "Show me yourself. _All_ of yourself. You have nothing to hide from me."

"Gah!" Sakura clenched at her head, hating herself.

"How did the likes of you ever get paired with the likes of _them?"_

There were whispers in her mind, steadily growing louder.

 _"...That huge forehead..."_

 _"...Ninja wannabe..."_

The images were getting sharper.

"Show me your childhood."

A flash. Two people appeared before them like ghosts, smiling at them. Haruno Kizashi and Mebuki. _Dad... Mom..._

 _"No!"_ He couldn't see that! She couldn't let him see. If he learned too much about her parents, then they wouldn't be safe! Was she so weak that she couldn't even protect them within her own mind?!

"Yes, that's it. Show me more!"

The benevolent apparitions of her parents flickered out. But the mocking voices grew even louder.

 _"You're annoying!"_

 _"Girls at this age are more interested in romance than in ninjutsu..."_

"I..." Sakura whispered. _How? How was it that after all this time, she could look back and still feel so deeply pathetic?_

She heard crying.

There was someone sitting at the edge of her mind, a shape that became clear in the mist. A girl.

"What have we here?"

Madara turned and deliberately began to step towards the huddled figure. Sakura reached out to stop him, but she was frozen in place.

Before Madara could make it there, a shorter figure suddenly ran towards him and, to Sakura's utter shock, _ran_ _right through him._ She could see it was a blonde girl of about six years old.

"Ino..." she whispered.

Madara followed the young Ino over to the damp blob of pink huddled in the grass.

"Hey, aren't you the one they're always teasing cuz you've got such a big forehead?" Ino's voice rang out clear as day, magnified in the white void.

"W-who are you?" a little voice sniffled. Sakura cringed.

"Who, me? Oh, that's easy. I'm Yamanaka Ino. Who are you?"

"My- my name's—" The figure mumbled something.

"Huh?! Hellooo! I can't hear you! Let's try that again, OK? Who are you?"

"MY NAME IS SAKURA!"

Madara looked on with an interested gleam in his eyes. And despite herself, Sakura found herself recalling every detail about that day. The way Ino had teased her about her bangs, saying she looked like a sheepdog, how she had advised her not to hide her forehead anymore, and, before they parted, how she had said she had something special for Sakura if she would meet her there the next day.

And then, for a brief moment, she could see the shining figures of Ino, so young and so confident, and younger Sakura, now looking bashfully cute with a new red ribbon adorning her hair. Both girls were smiling together - Ino's grin buoyant and bold, Sakura's smile shy and a little watery.

The real Sakura's heart ached; who knew that these memories would be so precious to her, now that she could never go back to that time? Slowly, the figures faded, and she was left alone with Madara, who hadn't spoken a word.

Finally, Madara turned to her and snorted.

"Pathetic."

* * *

"Wha-" Sakura was shocked, and then outrage quickly followed. "What do you mean, 'pathetic'?! That was the memory of how I met my best friend! Don't you dare say-"

"It appears that your overly large forehead really _is_ the only thing even remotely special about you."

Sakura faltered mid-sentence. Madara towered over her imperiously; he still hadn't released gravity's hold on her. To say she felt intimidated with him standing over her was an understatement. He reached down to jab her forehead with one gloved finger.

"You were clearly a mediocre child, possessing no exceptional talent... Not even possessing basic self-esteem! What possessed you to think you could ever be a ninja, let alone create world peace, with an uninspiring childhood such as yours?"

"Why?" Sakura's anger went back to dismay. She ignored the slights to her character for the moment. "Why are you laughing at this?! Isn't this what you wanted? This is what a peaceful childhood looks like!" Her tone darkened. "Don't mock me for this! Don't say you want peace, and then mock the very people who have it!"

"How could you possibly understand world peace if you haven't suffered like we have?"

Sakura swallowed the invisible lump in her throat. "I do know what suffering looks like. I also know what peace can look like, because I've lived it! I know you never had peace," her eyes flickered downward, "which is why you and Shodai-sama worked so hard to create it through Konoha. And then you tried again through the Infinite Tsukuyomi..." She looked up again, her eyes hardening. "But your vision was flawed because it was based on a war! After all, you're an expert on war, Madara... So maybe, because of my own childhood, in some way I'm more of an expert on peace."

"To be perfectly honest, Haruno Sakura, I very much doubt that you are an expert on anything at all."

The words stung, and she couldn't figure out why. Why did it hurt so much that Uchiha Madara, the living version of the devil, was denouncing her this way? Why did she care what _he_ thought of her?

"Even back then, you were nothing more than a lost follower... You never had any great ideas of your own. Instead you were content to let your friend do all your thinking for you."

 _"Ino, if you're a cosmos flower, then am I just a thoroughwort?"_

 _"Now why would you say that? I don't think you're a flower at all, Sakura. You're just a bud."_

Sakura's eyes widened.

"...Following your friend around like a stray dog begging for scraps..."

 _"Whoa, what a change. Sakura's really come out of her shell, hasn't she?"_

 _"Hmph. Sometimes I wish she'd go back in it!"_

Madara's words had triggered something. Another memory was coming forth.

 _"Ino... Um..."_

Sakura quivered. Madara had stopped talking. They weren't alone anymore. Before them were two apparitions - Ino and younger Sakura once again.

The ground had changed under their feet, from the white void to a green endless sunlit field. A lone tree stood in the middle of the field, lush leaves swaying against a gentle breeze. The two girls were sitting on a green bench in the shade of the giant tree.

"Well, what is it, Sakura? Why do you look so down?"

"Is it true what I heard, that you like Sasuke too?"

Ino looked astonished. Sakura remembered that moment so clearly: the discomfort she saw in Ino's eyes, both from the fact that they both liked the same boy, and from the fact that Sakura had been bold enough to bring it up. Sakura remembered wondering if it was the boldness that threw Ino so much, that little Sakura had indeed come out of her shell, no matter how much Ino had wished she'd get back in it. Did Ino realize then that Sakura had heard her that day?

Her younger self stood up, with as much dignity as a seven year old could possess. "So, I guess that means… We're rivals, from now on." And with that, younger Sakura walked away, leaving her best friend on the bench.

"So you broke your friendship with her over a boy? How petty."

Sakura closed her eyes to Madara's sardonic voice. She wished she could go back and relive that moment, do things differently... Maybe not end her friendship with Ino, but just begin branching out instead. Yes, they were best friends again now, but...

"It wasn't just over a boy..." she mumbled aloud, for Madara to hear. "It was because I wanted to get out of her shadow. To be seen. To be my own person." She bowed her head. "I know I made some bad decisions back then."

"When I broke my friendship with Hashirama, it was because I couldn't get over the death of my last younger brother! Because I couldn't stand living in the same village as his murderer, who would inevitably take over and doom my entire family. Something _you_ could never understand!"

 _"Alone. Isolated. It's not about your parents scolding you. You have no idea what it means to be alone… You're annoying…"_

Sakura already knew that she couldn't understand. She had heard it before. But it didn't stop her from caring, from wanting to ease the pain.

"Just how shallow were you back then?" Madara scoffed.

 _I know. I was so shallow back then. And I'm sorry I was. If I hadn't been… maybe I could have saved Sasuke._

* * *

Several minutes passed where Sakura drowned out Madara's voice, so stuck was she in her musings. When she looked up again, she couldn't have been more surprised.

They were in the middle of yet another memory, one of the ones she had been considering, guilt-stricken. Just how many memories had she unwittingly shown him while she had been lost in her thoughts?

Madara was silent again, observing. With dread, Sakura saw one of her worst nightmares made manifest before her.

"My name is Orochimaru. But as for what I want, that will have to wait until we meet again."

Gravity abruptly released its heavy hold on her limbs. Immediately, Sakura leaped to her feet, casting a quick glance in Madara's direction. But her attention immediately returned to the scene in front of her.

The snake's face was peeling off, revealed by Sasuke's fire jutsu. One golden eye stared through the ruined visage at them, amused and predatory. Like a real serpent, he was slowly shedding the burned skin, along with his facade.

It was their first glimpse of the true Orochimaru. They had been nothing more than toys to amuse him that day, and they had known it in that moment.

"The scroll!" she heard her younger self cry out. The snake had burned it so casually. After all, the scroll no longer mattered...

"First you'll have to defeat the Hidden Sound ninja who serve me."

"What the hell are you talking about?! We never want to see you again!"

 _Wrong thing to say, Sakura,_ she berated herself silently. She cringed, knowing what was coming next.

"Hehe… It won't go that way…"

The snake's neck shot out, inhumanly extending beyond his shoulders. Sakura put a hand to her mouth, fighting the urge to retch.

Orochimaru's head whipped through the air before settling with pinpoint accuracy on Sasuke, and then he struck. Razor-sharp teeth extended; Orochimaru buried his fangs in the young Uchiha's neck. She heard Madara make a noise of disgust.

Sasuke's scream rent the woods. Both Sakuras could only watch in horror.

"Sasuke, _no!_ " Her younger self ran to his side. "What have you done to him?!"

Orochimaru smiled. "I just gave him a little parting gift." Sasuke continued to thrash, oblivious to the world, but Sakura heard Orochimaru's next words clearly. "Sasuke-kun will seek me out, to see power…"

Oh, how sure she had been that Orochimaru's words were a delusion! She had thought that Sasuke, her strong noble teammate, would never go to such a monster willingly. She was so naïve back then... She didn't realize how easily power could corrupt a person.

"Hang in there, Sasuke!"

"Naïve!" It was as if Madara could read her exact thoughts. "Is that the extent of your so-called 'suffering', then? Simply watching others deal with the realities of this world? I guarantee you, you wouldn't speak so lightly of world peace if you had gone through any real horrors!"

"That was just the beginning..." Sakura whispered. The scene shifted again.

Naruto and Sasuke were lying in the hollow of a tree, unconscious, damp cloths laid tenderly across their foreheads. A young man in green lay sprawled on the ground - Sakura vaguely heard Madara murmur something like, "The Crimson Beast's disciple..." Two Sound ninja stood above Lee; one was grinning cruelly. And the third Sound ninja...

"My, my, what soft and shiny hair," Kin grinned as she held a struggling, kneeling Sakura still. "But you know what? If you spent a little less time shampooing, and a little more time practicing your jutsu, you might not be in this fix!"

Sakura felt Madara's gaze swivel to her. "Don't know what she's talking about," he muttered. "Your hair is nowhere near as nice as she's making it out to be..." Sakura fought the urge to kick him.

"Hey, Zaku! I know what would be fun! Why don't we make Miss Beauty Queen watch while we finish off that Sasuke guy!"

"Why not? Sounds like fun to me!"

"You stay away from him!"

To Sakura's horror, her younger self started crying. She cringed as Madara taunted her anew. "There you go, crying again. Have you always cried over absolutely everything?" He chuckled cruelly. "Did you know that Obito was once called 'the Crybaby Ninja'? It seems you inherited his title." He turned his back on the scene. "Weakness of any kind absolutely repulses me." His voice was cold. "Recall something else."

Sakura watched her younger self break down with something akin to pity. She had been so out of her depth then. She remembered the thoughts that had rushed through her head, the self-incriminations and lambasting. And then...

Younger Sakura drew a kunai.

"C'mon!" Kin scoffed. "It's pointless, that won't work on me."

"It's not meant for you."

The change in her voice must have alerted Madara. He turned back to watch the scene - right as the younger Sakura sliced through her own hair.

The kunai barely missed Kin's fingertips. The Sound nin stumbled backwards. Candy floss pink hair drifted away in the breeze, the strands shedding rapidly, as the last of Sakura's hesitation dissolved. Her Leaf headband fell in the dirt.

Sakura thought she might have seen Madara wince, before a hand darted briefly to his own hair, as if in reassurance. She fought the urge to smirk evilly; if she ever got free of him, she would make it a point to slice off every lock of his raven mane. See how haughty he would be then.

Younger Sakura's back was to everyone as she formed hand seals. The minute Kin barreled into her, Sakura poofed away, replaced by a log. Then the real her was closing in from another direction, hurling a wave of kunai at Zaku. The arrogant nin sneered and "returned the present" with his slicing sound waves - though not before Sakura substituted yet again.

"So where are you now?" Zaku looked up as Sakura dropped down from above, once again weaving hand signs. "You really wanna keep playing this...?" Zaku threw a handful of kunai up at her, then began looking around to see where she would materialize next.

Madara's eyes were on the Sakura descending from above. "Interesting..."

When a drop of blood landed messily on Zaku's cheek, he realized then, a moment too late, that Sakura hadn't substituted. That she had faked him out and was still directly above his head. And then she was on him, kunai sticking out of her body, determination burning in her eyes. She buried a kunai in one of his forearms. The other one she sank her teeth into.

"Aha!" Madara murmured. "Could this be where your tendency to bite originates from? Now I understand why you are showing me this..."

"Somebody get this crazy girl off of me!" Zaku was beating Sakura's unprotected forehead now, but she wouldn't let go.

"...Though may I suggest you change memories soon? My opinion of you continues to dip lower with each passing moment."

"Why is that?" Sakura questioned him. "Because I was weak compared to your standards? Because I used to make more mistakes back then? That's what growing up is all about!"

"But you didn't grow up," Madara glared at her suddenly. "All I see here," he indicated the genin around them, which now included Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji, "are a bunch of amateurs who want to play ninja! When Orochimaru showed up, that was the time to confront the situation like a true shinobi, not continue playing around!"

"But what was I-"

"And _that,"_ Madara cut across her words, "is why I say that you are nothing more than a weak woman who has no place in our world, nor any true understanding of it! You did not realize the burden placed on your teammate, or you would have stopped at nothing to get him medical treatment immediately!"

"I know I didn't understand the burden that was placed on Sasuke!" Sakura's temper rose, before abruptly deflating. "But I think this gave me a pretty good indicator," she continued sadly. Madara had already turned as an enormous burst of chakra reached his senses.

Sasuke was awake.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun...!" her younger self began to say.

Sakura looked at Madara in time to see his eyes narrow. She heard the crinkle of leather as his gloved fists clenched. For Sasuke, for the first time, wasn't Sasuke anymore.

The first time her younger self caught a glimpse of that fiery chakra, blazing over Sasuke's body, a deep terror took root in her. But it wasn't terror of Sasuke, rather, it was for that thing that lay inside him. _Hatred._ And a raw lust for power.

"Sakura… Who did this to you?"

Sakura's own injuries had been the furthest thing from her mind when she saw what the cursed seal had done to him.

"I would have thought you would be swooning over the attention he's giving you," Madara muttered, but his voice lacked bite.

The younger Sakura began to worry over her teammate's condition, asking if he was OK, but her words fell on deaf ears. Sasuke was intoxicated with his new power.

And then, he said the fated words.

"At last I understand… I am an Avenger. To follow my path, I must have power at any price... even if it means selling my soul to the devil."

Madara had a grave expression on his face. Sakura was watching him out of the corner of her eye. He couldn't take his eyes off of Sasuke... It was like he was seeing a ghost...

"So Sakura, tell me... Which one of these people did this to you?"

"That'd be me!"

Sasuke turned his murderous gaze onto the idiotic ninja. The flames on his body turned black as the cursed seal spread; Sakura was suddenly struck by its resemblance to Amaterasu. The chilling image remained in her head: Sasuke, being consumed by his own flames...

The next part was a blur. Zaku was foolish enough to try to attack all of Team Seven with an enormous wave of sound. But Sasuke effortlessly carried his team out of the way. With a single punch, he sent Zaku flying, then followed up with a burst of flame and shuriken. By the time Zaku could see again, Sasuke had him on his knees, facedown, a foot planted in the middle of his back.

Sasuke grabbed his arms and then smiled. "You seem to be very proud of these arms of yours. You must be... very _attached_ to them." His grip tightened, until Zaku's arms were strained backward to their limit. But Sasuke didn't relent. His manic grin grew wilder.

"No, don't-" Zaku pleaded.

 _SNAP!_

All the genin present looked horrified. Madara, on the other hand, was nodding grimly. Sakura imagined he must approve of Sasuke's ruthlessness. She tried to think about it from his perspective for a moment. Was he approving of the cruelty? From what he had done to her lately, in the real world, she thought so... but he wasn't gloating. So then... Did he just see it as a necessary action, an efficient way of stopping a continuous threat?

Sasuke dropped Zaku like a ragdoll and then turned, smiling eerily at Dosu. "Looks like you're the only one left. I hope you make things more interesting than your friend did..."

And that was when younger Sakura sprang into action.

Sasuke had meant to protect her, in the beginning. But both Sakuras could feel so clearly how that had changed. The only thing Sasuke felt right now was that heady surge of power, and the cruel desire to test it out. Unlike what Madara might or might not have been thinking about, Sasuke wasn't wondering about efficiency. Unlike Madara, _he_ was gloating. A flash of Orochimaru appeared in the real Sakura's mind's eye - a vision visible to her and Madara alone.

 _This isn't… This isn't… Whoever this is... It's not Sasuke!_

 _"No!"_ With a forceful cry, the younger Sakura collided with Sasuke's back, wrapping her arms around him. Sasuke's head jerked around.

"S-stop!" Sakura cried out. Sobs shook her body, but her hands were firm around him, trying to pull him back from the brink... back to the Sasuke she knew. "Stop it," she whispered. "Please… stop."

Sasuke's body was rigid, as if, in a moment, he would turn and snap on her too.

No one dared to breathe.

And then, within Sakura's embrace, the flames on Sasuke's body turned orange and receded, leaving him as Uchiha Sasuke once more. Sasuke stood straight and tall for a moment before suddenly collapsing sideways in Sakura's arms. _She had reached him._

The scene froze.

Madara was silent as the older Sakura turned away in utter anguish. The figures drifted away like smoke in the wind.

"It wasn't enough…"

Ghosts sprinted through Sakura's memory. Sasuke, getting stronger, fighting. The seal blooming and then receding, and Sasuke ever more swiftly running towards a bright light. A tree materializing from the light. Sasuke, getting knocked from that tree by a beast made of sand, with a deranged face and red hair. The Kazekage, half-transformed into Shukaku.

Younger Sakura materialized in front of the beast, between him and the fallen Sasuke, kunai in hand. Madara made a choking sound; Sakura guessed he was surprised. In a rush of sand, her younger self was propelled from the branch and slammed up against another trunk. Her body hung limply, suspended in Shukaku's claws.

"I regained consciousness later." Sakura smiled softly, painfully. "Naruto had saved us both. And in the process, he opened the Kazekage-sama's heart."

Sasuke's apparition continued to run. And Sakura's apparition continued to chase him.

Suddenly the mist darkened around them. Sakura shuddered. Sasuke's apparition was barely visible.

Out of the mist, a bench appeared.

* * *

"It's the middle of the night. What are you hanging around here for?"

"This is the only road out of the village." Younger Sakura spoke softly, sadly. She had already seen the backpack he was carrying. She, alone out of her team, had seen this coming.

"You should go to bed."

Sakura remained perfectly still as Sasuke walked around her. Step by step, putting distance in between them. Step by step, crushing her heart. The first tear fell as she spoke again. "Why, Sasuke? Why won't you ever tell me anything!? Why is it always silence with you? You never share a single thing with—"

"Why should I have to tell you anything?"

Silent tears ran down younger Sakura's face. She didn't make a sound.

Madara and Sakura stood there, in the middle of it all, and watched. They were so close that they could have touched either of the participants in this silent heartbreak, but for the reality that they were apparitions. For once, they were on the same page - watching Sasuke.

"Is this when-?" Madara started to say.

"Yeah," Sakura cut him off, voice sad and somber. "This is the night he left."

"And you tried to stop him." Madara folded his arms.

It was a statement, not a question. A foregone conclusion, really. Sakura ignored him and turned her attentions back to Sasuke, who was telling younger Sakura off.

"Just keep your nose out of my business. It's none of your concern."

Younger Sakura looked down, chastized. And then, inexplicably, a smile came to her face, despite her tears. "I know you hate me. Even in the beginning, you could never stand me." She looked up at him, and a soft, nostalgic smile began on her face. "Remember, back when we made genin and we were assigned to our three-man squads? We were alone together, for the first time, right here on this very spot. You got so mad at me that day." Sakura's voice never raised as they stood beside the bench where it had all began for her. For them. The day when Sakura had begun to step out of the shallow zone of her life, treading deeper waters after her teammates. The first time she had seen Sasuke's back in front of her, walking away…

"I don't remember that."

Younger Sakura gasped. Older Sakura smiled ruefully. Sasuke did not turn around.

Sakura's tears dropped on the ground. "Yeah, sure. I mean, it was so long ago, right? But still, that's the day when it all began. It was the start of you and me, and Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei. The four of us started going on missions. It was rough back then… Every day was such a challenge…"

As younger Sakura spoke, figures in the mist flashed, appearing and disappearing. Faces, younger, happier. Older Sakura was remembering her happier days, even within this small memory. Even though the night was dark around them, soon the presence of the memories made the sky glow white. There was a sweet smell, like syrup, in the air all around them. _Yearning._

"But… more than anything…"

Something rippled through the air, making Sakura flinch. Madara began to rub his arm subconsciously, and she knew he felt it too… _Sorrow._

"It was so much fun!" Younger Sakura exclaimed. Then her face turned serious again. "I know about your clan, Sasuke. I do. But seeking revenge… That won't bring anyone happiness. Nobody at all. Not you…" a cloud fell over the two youths, "…and not me."

"I always knew it." Younger Sakura looked at him with surprise. "I'm not the same as you. I'm traveling a path the rest of you can't follow…"

Abruptly Sakura's head swiveled to gaze at Madara. Her mouth fell open. _Could it be...?_ Madara had left the village too, once upon a time. What was it like for him now? Was history repeating itself?

Madara's eyes were locked with a strange sort of intensity on the scene playing out before them. Slowly, as he became aware of Sakura's focus on him, he turned to meet her stare.

His eyes narrowed. His jaw jumped and tensed.

"I know that the four of us have worked together, and for a while I thought I could take that road instead. But in the end, I've decided on revenge. That's always been my reason for living."

Madara didn't say a word, but he continued to stare at her with what she realized was pure and utter hatred. And she had no idea why.

"I will never be like you and Naruto."

"Don't do this, Sasuke! You don't have to be alone! You told me that day how painful a thing solitude can be. I understand that pain now…"

"How could _you_ understand anything," Madara murmured, eyes blazing into hers, "when you haven't yet lost everything?"

"I have a family, and friends." The tears dripped faster now. "But… if _you_ were gone, Sasuke… It would be the same thing for me…" she sobbed, "as being all alone!"

"You know _NOTHING_ of loss!" Madara hissed out, turning away with a violent toss of his head. Sakura stared at him in bewilderment. _Couldn't he see what she was losing right now, before their very eyes?_

Sasuke was silent for a long moment. "This is a new beginning," he said finally. "Each of us has a new path lying before us."

"If you had really wanted to stop him from leaving, then why did you not call the rest of your pathetic team out to stop him as well?! Weren't you supposed to be all about teamwork?"

Sasuke started to step away.

"Sasuke! I'm so in love with you that I can't even stand it!" Both Madara and Sakura cringed; Madara out of apparent disgust, while Sakura did it because hearing herself say those words tore her heart apart all over again. "If you would only be with me, I promise, I'd never let you regret it! Every day will be a joy! I can give you happiness. I'll do anything for you, Sasuke! So please! I'm begging you, don't walk away! I'll even help get your revenge. I'll do whatever it takes to make it happen, I swear! So stay here… with me… and if you can't…" The clouds parted and the full white moon revealed Sakura's face. Tears, full of sorrow mingled with determination, stained her cheeks and neck as she stared unflinchingly at the boy she loved, "Then take me with you, Sasuke…"

Shuddering, the present-day Sakura closed her eyes. Her head lowered automatically. She didn't need to see this scene again; she knew it by heart already.

So lost was she in her own failings that she didn't notice Madara watching her, his attention diverted from the scene in front of them, the anger in his face temporarily gone.

Sasuke had turned. And on his face, he wore a familiar smirk. "You haven't changed. You're still annoying."

Younger Sakura gasped. And Sasuke turned away again.

"Don't leave me! If you go, I'll scream and-!"

In a blur, Sasuke appeared behind her. Younger Sakura froze, eyes wide, but she didn't turn. Sasuke stood close enough to her that his breath stirred the hairs on the back of her neck. Beside Sakura, Madara tensed.

"Sakura…"

Both Sakura and Madara flinched at Sasuke's quiet tone. Only then did Sakura, the real one, finally let a single tear drift down her face.

"…Thank you for everything."

The moment held a little, and then Sasuke raised a hand to the back of Sakura's neck.

As the world around them began to dim, they both heard younger Sakura's final whispered word: "Sasuke…"

* * *

There was a long silence. Then Madara turned, roughly grabbing her by the shoulders. His face was transformed, alive with hatred.

"How _dare_ you compare your pain of losing him to the pain of losing your entire family!" he growled. "This is why you could never reach him, why he was happy to push you away! You insult him!"

"Was it the same for you? When you left Konoha?" Sakura blurted out, her heart thundering.

"You are _arrogant_ to think you could understand how the world works! From what I have seen so far, you make a mockery of what true suffering is, as you claim you see the path to peace."

"So, because I haven't lost anyone, you think I don't know how the world works? You think I don't know anything?!" Sakura tilted her head back to yell directly into Madara's seething face. "I have eyes, Madara! Maybe they don't see as much as your Sharingan, but they see enough! When I see my friends suffering… When I see the burdens Naruto has to carry… I can't just stand back and watch him struggle alone!"

The void flickered crazily. But Madara and Sakura continued to stare into each others' eyes, consumed in their burning anger.

Images, without story or sound, poured out and all around them. Ghosts.

...Naruto, face bandaged, in a hospital bed. Sakura watched him from the doorway, her face momentarily twisted in anguish. Sasuke had done this to him. No... _she_ had done this to him, by making him make that promise... She knew it even back then, long before Sai told her anything...

...Naruto, cradling Gaara's still body in his arms, sobbing. Sakura, standing aside, watching, unable to help...

...Sakura, cradling Lady Chiyo's body in her arms, as Naruto helped Gaara to his feet...

"Maybe you're different, Madara," Sakura sneered, letting her true anger and frustration show at last. "Maybe you interpret my concern as insincere. But there are others in the world, other people, who _need_ someone who cares! You berate me for daring to help, to act, when I don't 'understand'… But wouldn't it be even more heartless if I were to turn my back?! On people who need—"

"Who need what? _You?_ " Madara pushed Sakura back with a single hand. Rather than stumble, she took the incentive to fall into a stronger stance, legs shoulder-width apart. She was itching for a fight.

"On people who need help! I- I might not be as powerful as Sasuke or Naruto, and I might not have known suffering like they have… But I still have to do whatever I can to help. Even if it's only the small things… It is worth more than doing absolutely nothing. I- I regret that I'm not stronger, for their sake."

...Naruto, face transformed. Blood and chakra made up his flesh now, two bright holes for eyes. A gaping maw full of teeth and deadly light. Claws extended. _Four violent tails sweeping behind him._

"But maybe, if I'm by their sides, I can help to create a world where orphans like them aren't created! A world where kids don't have to lose their parents to the hatred and violence in our shinobi existence. If I could give Naruto and Sasuke their parents back, I would!"

 _..."Well, well, would you look at that. I can't believe he'll go that far, just to save Sasuke. He's even lost control over his own body."_

"And… you're wrong when you say I'm unaware of what I have. I know how lucky I am to have both of my parents. Sasuke taught me that… I don't take them for granted anymore, especially after seeing the suffering Naruto and Sasuke went through as orphans. So then… wouldn't it make sense to try to save others from the suffering those two went through?"

...Naruto roared. The sound, thick with fury and anguish, shook the ground. And younger Sakura was running forward, tears in her eyes, shouting words without sound- _Naruto!_ _Naruto, stop! It's OK, I can rescue Sasuke! I'm begging you to stop this right now! Narutooooo!_

 _It was just like that time with Sasuke,_ Sakura realized, her attention drawn away from Madara for a moment, _the first time he used the power of the cursed seal. Why? Why were both her boys-?_

"Suffering I've had to stand by and _watch_ since I was thirteen years old! Four long years, and I've still done _nothing_ for them, except burden them… When all I've ever wanted was to keep them safe!"

...Then Naruto struck the younger Sakura with a single tail, knocking her out.

"They lost their sense of safety when their parents died, and there is _nothing_ the likes of you can do to give it to them again. Which is why you should know your place! Weak medics like you are deplorable. You are good for band-aid solutions, and that's about it. Disposing of you would be no more challenging nor important than disposing of a used tissue."

"If that tissue were used to wipe the eyes of someone suffering, drying their tears and offering them comfort in their time of need, then wouldn't that be a worthy life?" Sakura asked pleadingly.

. _..Kakashi-sensei lay in a hospital bed, still recovering from his overuse of Kamui, a new ocular power of his - or so he had told them._

Naruto, Sakura, and Sai stood before him, debriefing him. "Sasuke has developed so fast, his growth isn't natural," she was saying. "I spoke with Lady Tsunade. She thinks they might be using forbidden jutsu or even medical enhancement. After all, they do have Kabuto with them. No book in the world could explain the kind of person who performs experiments on human beings."

"Which is why the only thing we can do is accelerate our own growth."

"But how can we do that?"

"Do you think I've just been lying here doing nothing the whole time? I've been brainstorming, and I have an idea... However, what I came up with is more suited to Naruto. Or rather, I should say, it's something that will _only_ work with Naruto. In fact, if this training pans out, Naruto, your power may even surpass mine."

The first emotion Sakura felt, upon hearing those words, was a burst of hope. If Kakashi-sensei had an idea, then maybe there was a chance at bringing Sasuke back...

...But as Kakashi-sensei continued to describe what Naruto would have to do, clearly forgetting the other participants in the room, Sakura felt a pang of rejection. She was still standing right next to Kakashi-sensei, the way she had been since he had begun speaking. And yet, to him, she wasn't there at all. Before it had been Sasuke. Now it was only Naruto who existed in Kakashi-sensei's mismatched eyes.

She was able to pretend, throughout the rest of the team meeting, and the barbecue meal with Team 10, that everything was fine. She bickered as expected, trying to warn Ino about Sai's poor social skills, and getting predictably pissed off when Sai called Ino "beautiful" (while he had called Sakura herself "homely"). But inside, the emptiness grew.

That night, as she stared at the old photo of Team 7 for the thousandth time, tears once again blotting her vision, she wondered if maybe she was out of place standing next to them. If she hadn't been so weak, if she hadn't slowed them down, then would Sasuke have left Konoha after all? With Naruto challenging him so constantly, with the two of them pushing each other to extraordinary heights, would he have been able to see that he had all the help acquiring power he would ever need here, in Konoha? If Sasuke were still here, would Kakashi-sensei still be teaching him, to the exclusion of herself and Naruto, or would Sasuke have surpassed him already? Would Naruto be sensei's new favorite, or was he simply the "favorite" now since he had the greatest chance in bringing back sensei's original favorite? She berated herself silently for these harsh thoughts.

... _But_... She realized that it wasn't just about Sasuke anymore. True, Naruto working alone had the greatest chance of bringing Sasuke back, but... If Kakashi-sensei were really serious about rescuing Sasuke, he would enlist the whole team. A team strategy would work better against one person than leaving it to a one-on-one battle. But Kakashi-sensei hadn't done that. Instead, he had focused on Naruto, to her own exclusion. So... there was something special he wanted to teach to Naruto. Just the way there had once been something special he wanted to teach Sasuke. A jutsu unique to each of them. Jutsu she could never learn, apparently. And he was going about it in this way because Naruto, instead of Sasuke, was now in the greatest danger.

She knew it made sense that Kakashi-sensei was investing all his efforts into teaching Naruto, so that he would have a fighting chance of defending himself against the Akatsuki. But what ever happened to teamwork? Why wouldn't Kakashi-sensei put effort into teaching her too, into teaching all of Naruto's allies, so they would stand a better chance of protecting him?

... _Was she really so... worthless... to them?_

"But… you can dispose of me if you wish." Sakura slumped, the latest memory winking out like a light. Madara stared at her coldly. She lowered her head, feeling every bit as dejected as she had that day. "I am nothing to my teammates. I can do nothing, say nothing. It's- it's as you've said. So then…" When she raised her head, her tears were visible. "Get on with it. My loss will not be a great deal in the scheme of things."

"Oh? You won't fight harder to see your dream of world peace come true?"

"That dream will be realized no matter what. Did I say it was only _my_ dream, Madara? It's been in effect for a long time. Our world is already moving towards peace."

"But how much war did it take the world to get there first? How much _pain?_ "

In that moment, the void alit with something fierce, as if in direct response to Madara's words. The light was so harsh that it blinded them. When they opened their eyes again, they were inside of Konoha's hospital. All around them were cots with injured people. Moans filled the air. And a younger Sakura was working to heal them all, body after body. Despite being indoors, the air was cold. The tingling sensation of sorrow was even stronger here. Sakura felt herself break out into goosebumps.

"Oh God, no-"

There was an ominous rumbling in the ground. She had a split second to look over in horror at Madara. And then, everything exploded.

There was something soft and sticky pressed to her, shielding her from the blast. _Katsuyu._ The kind-hearted slug had protected her. Sakura hacked and coughed for a moment, then raised her head to thank Katsuyu-

Nothing could have prepared her.

"Wh-what happened? N-no." Konoha was _nothing_ now. Nothing but plaster dust, and broken buildings, and broken bodies, and-

 _Konoha had been completely leveled._ _All by one man._

Pein.

Tears darkened the dust at Sakura's knees. And she found herself screaming heavenward, "Naruto! Naruto, _please,_ come back! Hurry! _NARUTOOOOO!"_

In answer to her screamed prayers and tears, there was another, smaller explosion, and the strong chakra of a toad summons. _Naruto had returned._

And he, alone, defeated Pein.

Madara crossed his arms as the memory faded. "What good are you as a medic, as a shinobi, if you cannot protect those who are closest to you?"

"I have no idea, Madara," Sakura answered honestly.

"You call yourself a medic, but you couldn't even ease your best friends' burdens, could you?"

 _"Sakura... I was only recently assigned to Team Kakashi to take Sasuke's place. So I still don't know all of you that well, and I'm not that good at understanding a person's feelings. Also, I don't know the promise made between you and Naruto. But, even I can tell that Naruto loves you!"_

"No," she whispered, "...I couldn't."

 _"It's as though Naruto has been shouldering the burden of his promise to you. As though he intends to bear that burden for the rest of his life. I don't know what you told Naruto. But it's no different than what was done to me. It's like a curse mark. Sasuke is the source of Naruto's agony... but aren't you a part of it too, Sakura?"_

"Instead, they are always cleaning up after you, are they not? That is why they are the heroes of your story, instead of you."

Sakura nodded. Her voice cracked. "You think I don't realize that already?"

"Face it, Sakura. Without them, you are worth nothing in this world."

"I already know." She shook her head. "But what I just don't understand is... why you hate me so much. You seem so determined to hate me, to find me deplorable, to make me find _myself_ deplorable as well... Why? It's not rational."

"Hatred never is."

"Just what do you want from me, Madara?"

He raised her chin with a gloved finger. "I want to show you just how little about this world you understand. I want you lying broken at my feet, facing the harsh reality about your life, and then- then!- admit to me how pathetic you and your little dream really are. Admit to me that there is no hope and that you have finally seen the light."

"...You want to see me give up," Sakura whispered.

"In fewer words, yes."

"You know," she steeled herself, knowing that this final memory could well mean the end of her fight, "I already almost did, once."

* * *

 _If I stab Sasuke now, then, it'll all be over._

 _"Don't do it... Sasuke!"_

 _The shriek of a chidori, towards the back of her head-_

The memory was as clear as fresh snow. It was in that moment that Sakura knew that the man she loved was gone.

Sequestered away while Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke battled it out, healing the redheaded former member of Taka, Sakura could feel her sorrow crushing her. She had told herself that she needed to do this - needed to be the one to put Sasuke out of his misery. Otherwise, Naruto or someone else would have to carry that burden... most likely it would be Naruto. She couldn't let him carry any more, not after she had so selfishly laden his shoulders as she had.

But Sasuke...

She heard him scream at Kakashi-sensei about how he didn't deserve that Sharingan eye. Heard the scream of another chidori as Sasuke tried to kill Kakashi-sensei with his own jutsu. Then, she felt the horrifying chakra of Sasuke's Susanoo, and her heart broke even more.

His darkness had consumed him. She could hear his maniacal laughter still ringing in her head. It was as she had feared... His vengeance had swallowed him completely. And now, hearing him yell for her, sensei, and all of Konoha to return his brother and the rest of his family to him... But hadn't he killed Itachi? But now he wanted him back... Now he blamed _Konoha_ for Itachi's death...

 _Sasuke... what's happened to you?_

"Sasuke is... not the same person you knew from before," the redhead choked out. Sakura realized then that she had been crying on her and then, with a shock, that the redhead had begun to cry too.

The demonic chakra flickered out. Sakura stood immediately and ran to the edge of the bridge. _I must stop this! I must unburden them from this hatred... Kakashi-sensei... Naruto... Sasuke-kun._

"W-what are you doing?" the redhead whispered, concerned.

Sakura walked over the side of the bridge and underneath, so that she was upside down. Below her, Sasuke and Kakashi faced off. Kakashi saw her. Started running. "Don't!"

 _I will not let Kakashi-sensei bear this burden!_

The memories flowed. She left no ripples when her feet landed, silently behind Sasuke.

The kunai at his back quivered and stopped.

 _I thought... that I had made up my mind..._

Madara's face had gone pale. Sakura had forgotten he was there for a moment, until she felt the surge in his chakra. She saw the fine vibrations of his hair as he shivered. But _why?_

She heard her own gasp, and in spite of knowing what came next, in spite of the heartbreak she was feeling, she turned to watch. The younger her was in the air, Sasuke's hand wrapped around her throat, and the kunai in his other hand was thrusting toward her. Sakura felt a pain in her jaw and realized she was gritting her teeth with all her might.

She had fully believed, in that moment, that the coldness in Sasuke's eyes would be the last thing she would ever see.

Of course, Naruto came to save her a moment later, before Sasuke could impale her on her own kunai. But the memory still haunted her. It would always haunt her.

"You had poison on that kunai," Madara spoke softly, finally. When she glanced at him, she discovered that he had schooled his expression to resemble indifference once more. "You didn't need to stab him. A simple scratch would have sufficed."

Sakura's head whipped towards him. "Have you ever had to kill someone you loved?!"

Madara said nothing.

Sakura glared. Her throat felt like it was closing up. "Then don't judge. Don't you dare try to judge my weakness. _I already know._ "

Madara frowned.

"You wanna tell me my whole life's been nothing but weakness after weakness?!" Sakura trembled. Their surroundings rippled. "I already know." A flicker. Sasuke and Naruto standing before her, backs to her. "You wanna tell me that I'm a disgrace to my teammates? That I couldn't protect them from the world… or even themselves?" The apparitions transformed: one covered in flame marks that turned from fire orange to black, the other covered in blackened energy with bright holes for eyes, four massive tails sweeping behind. "I know that too!"

"Why stop there with your failures?" Madara hissed. Sakura flinched. "Did you give a second thought to your parents when Nagato destroyed your village?" Pein's destruction surrounded them once again as Sakura gasped in horror. "What if your home was destroyed in the chaos too?" It was clear Sakura hadn't thought about it before. She had always taken her safe home for granted. Unbidden, she began to shudder. "Has it ever occurred to you that the reason why Naruto and Sasuke step in front of you so much, is because they know you have a family to return to? That they don't want to destroy that for you, the way their dreams of their own families were destroyed?"

Sakura was openly crying now.

"You were so concerned with everyone else. The perfect shinobi. But you would have become undone if you had returned home to that… Or this recent war…"

There was a pull in Sakura's head, like an energy had been forcibly stolen from her, and she put her hands on her knees, doubling over with sudden queasiness. When she looked up again, their surroundings had changed once more. Now they were standing in an unfamiliar forest. Sakura's heart nearly stilled. When she saw Madara's eyes, she understood.

These were _his_ thoughts.

His Rinnegan was trained on the still forms lying amongst the twisted trees and charred grounds. Bodies. _Five._

Sakura stumbled forward. Blood-red hair greeted her first. _Gaara!_

He had been cut with the strap from his own gourd.

He looked so eerily reminiscent of the time when the Akatsuki had killed him, lying there so silently, stripped of the Shukaku, beyond her abilities to heal. Vaguely she heard crying. If Naruto were here, he would be cradling his friend's body once again.

Her heart felt heavy.

There was another head of reddish, almost brown hair ahead. A body facedown. Dark blue robes… Like water pooling around the unconscious woman, though a much larger pool of blood lay underneath her. If Sakura wasn't mistaken, this was the Mizukage, the one who proved that the Land of Water was changing, if a woman with two kekkei genkai could lead them… So different from the reality Haku had lived in, where those with bloodline limits were only hated and feared as weapons… Sakura felt a pang of sorrow for the woman in front of her.

Not much further beyond that lay a short man with thick white eyebrows. His fine robes were splattered with blood, and the corners of his mouth dripped with it.

Close to him was a tall one-armed man slumped against a rock, white robes parted to reveal a broad chest. Sakura wanted to kneel down, to press her ear to his chest in hopes that just maybe she would hear a heartbeat. Maybe it wasn't too late to save them…

The final body—

Sakura let out a strangled cry.

Blonde pigtails, soaked in blood. Fists, capable of breaking apart the earth, now limp and motionless. A forehead, still marked with a diamond…

"Shishou!"

Sakura ran to her. It was pure instinct. She knelt down, but when she tried to take her mentor's hand, her fingers ghosted right through Tsunade. Sakura's face contorted in horror.

Tsunade was—

Tsunade had been torn apart. No, not torn… Squashed, like an ant. _By a massive tree root._

Just how much did Madara hate her shishou?! She looked up in fury, and only then she realized that she was alone. Madara was nowhere to be seen. But there was no one else who could have done this, save possibly for Obito... But Obito was fighting with Naruto and Kakashi the whole time. He had been nowhere near the five Kage.

Sakura felt sympathy numbness spread beneath her own lower spine. She felt ready to void her bowels. Tsunade's spine had been snapped in halves. Half of her master lay before her. Sakura had a very bad feeling that if she were to climb over this massive tree root, she would find Tsunade's legs.

Queasy now, Sakura was shocked when Tsunade's eyes fluttered open. Jerkily, she reached a hand towards the corner of her mouth, swiping the blood there. Her hand collapsed back on the soil. Tsunade coughed blood.

"Katsuyu…"

And in the next blink, Sakura was ripped away, no longer beside her mentor. She looked around wildly, a shriek rising in her throat, when she realized where she was. Before her stood Obito and Madara, atop the head of the Ten Tailed Beast. The Shinobi Alliance surrounded her on all sides. Only then did she notice that she was standing next to a younger version of herself once again... But this time, only two weeks younger than she was now. Had all this really happened so recently?

Once again a ghost, she observed.

She saw herself jumping high, aiding Darui as the latter prepared his storm release. Sakura remembered that moment. In the back of her mind she had been preparing her own fists, having heard Shikaku's instructions that all taijutsu users be prepared to attack Madara—

FWOOOM! The Ten Tails reared up, more powerful than they had realized. Its power sent them all careening away, end over end.

An invisible force gathered her incorporeal body and held her aloft. She was miles above herself and the rest of the Shinobi Alliance, so high above them that they looked like ants. The only creatures left who she could clearly see were the two remaining bijuu - Eight and Nine Tails - and the Ten Tailed Beast they were opposing.

There was a sound like grease sizzling, and then the maw of the Ten Tails opened wide, gathering dark, dense chakra into a ball. With a sound like a cannon, the beast fired it. Even from her height, Sakura couldn't see where it landed - only that the horizon erupted into vivid colors, at once resembling both a sunset and the end of the world itself.

With mounting horror, Sakura remembered what happened next. Was it the third or fourth tailed beast ball that had utterly destroyed the headquarters of the intelligence department, killing Ino's father and so many others? How many minutes, how many _seconds_ would she have before she heard Nara Shikaku's last words?

"Have you ever imagined, Sakura, what would have happened if one of those balls had hit Konoha?"

Sakura whipped her head around wildly. Madara's voice had been so close to her, it was as if he was talking directly into her ear. But she was all alone, up here in the warm air.

There was a flash, an image. A street, _her_ street, cracked and ruined. A little home, split down the middle, with the roof collapsed in on everything inside. Beams broken, windows shattered… A darkness inside, to conceal the bodies within… The windows themselves looked like they were dripping blood around the edges… _"...Mom? ...Dad?"_

She saw the beast launch another ball. Saw it go southwest, in the direction of home-

"NOOOOOOO!" she screamed.

* * *

 _Where was she?_

She floated weightlessly above the earth, as light as a feather. She drifted lazily, as the wind flicked her back and forth. It took her a moment to remember the battle, the mounting fear she'd felt as the tailed beast ball had flown towards Konoha. Now, she was above an unknown land, and everything was peaceful. No violent chakra across the landscape. No war.

Beneath her was a valley, a small trickle announcing a waterfall, and beneath that, a river. There used to be trees here... but there was a horrible mess, as if someone had taken a giant-sized sledgehammer and knocked them all down. The earth was muddy in places, most of all near the river, but further out as well. There had been a battle here. There _had to_ have been. So why was everything so quiet now? Where were the combatants?

She recognized the ruined landscape as familiar, but couldn't place its name.

Her eyes widened. _There!_

Beneath her were two figures lying in the mud, on a small flat piece of land raised a little higher than the river. Two young men, covered in blood. One was wearing what used to be an orange outfit; now, only the knees of the pants downward still remained orange.

She gasped. But her breath was snatched away by the wind. And her body had no form as she fell down like a feather from the sky, drifting closer toward them.

Naruto's abdomen was an explosion of blood and gore, wounds zigzagging out from it and across his body like lightning. There was a glimpse of his ribcage, pink within red, peeking out from the large hole. Yet the boy's chest still rose and fell, shakily. His normally golden face had gone deathly pale, as if the light were leaving him. _Why wasn't the Fox healing him?_

Sasuke's chest looked as if someone had taken an overly large drill and driven it straight through him. The mess beneath his body was so horrible that Sakura just knew the exit wound was far bigger than what she was already seeing. Blood had gushed out, running down his left side. It looked as though the wound lay just a half-inch away from his heart.

Her boys were dying.

Naruto's eyes were closed as he labored for breath. Sasuke was already very still. Sakura's heart clenched.

Naruto reached out a hand to grasp Sasuke's. The other boy opened his eyes weakly.

"I- I'm sorry it came to this. N-n-… Naruto." He coughed, splattering blood on his perfect face, his raven hair.

Her boys were _dying_.

Naruto's eyes creased. In spite of the agony he was no doubt in, the blond boy still managed to smile. Sakura could have yelled at him for being an idiot, but a silent sob stopped her. It was then she realized that tears were streaming down her face, and she could barely breathe.

"Tch. Don't feel so bad, b-bastard. At least-" He coughed, and like Sasuke, Naruto's blood splattered his innocent face, his golden hair- "At least- in the end, we- we're _together_ -"

"Even like this," Sasuke agreed quietly.

The two friends were silent, looking up at the heavens. Looking directly up at Sakura, although they couldn't see her. Their breaths growing shallower and shallower…

Finally, Naruto spoke, and she briefly wondered if he could see her after all.

"I- wish- that Sakura-chan- were here- with us."

Sasuke closed his eyes.

"I do, too…"

Those were the final words her boys spoke. Sakura stayed watching, silently pleading, but knowing that it was far too late, and there was nothing anyone could do now. Her boys lapsed into unconsciousness, and a few minutes later, their last breaths expired.

She felt their bodies shudder as their spirits left them. Til all that were left behind were the empty husks of her two most precious people.

Sakura let out a harsh keening shriek. The tears were coming thick and fast, and she felt the wails built up in her throat. But then- they were caught. Stuck inside her. She choked, managing a strange half-bellow instead, and sudden numbness descended upon her, though the tears never stopped.

She reached up to trace Sasuke's face tenderly, and when she felt his skin beneath her fingertips, she realized then that she really _was_ there with them. No longer was she invisible, no more reduced to just watching. Sakura threw herself down on Sasuke's body, sobbing. The man she loved didn't respond, was no longer there to push her away or to tell her how heavy she was. Now he was gone, and she was heartbroken. She felt as though there were a huge hole in her chest, as deep as the one that had claimed Sasuke's life.

Her boys had killed each other.

 _"I told you before, Sakura,"_ Madara's voice whispered in her ear, _"There is nothing in this world, except for pain... and deep despair. It does no good to love the people around you, when they will all die someday, probably sooner than later, and most likely before your very eyes. To become too attached to anyone in this lifetime will only cause you pain. Now you know. Now you understand our pain and suffering...it comes from the good but ultimately doomed intention of love. So tell me... is such a world truly worth existing in? Can you truly create peace in such a world, Sakura? And more importantly, would you even bother trying anymore, knowing how this feels?"_

She raised her head, though looking was unbearable, and gazed at Naruto's peaceful face. He would never open those blue eyes or laugh with her again. He had followed Sasuke endlessly, and it had cost him his life at his best friend's hands. She wept as she reached out an arm and pulled Naruto's body closer, so that she cradled her two boys in her arms. Blood was soaking her clothes and hair and everywhere else, but she didn't care. She could stay here forever until she joined them.

 _Yes._ Maybe that wouldn't be so bad. She could just stay with them, guarding them, until Death came and took her away peacefully in its arms to wherever they had gone. Then she would never be parted from them again. Sakura clenched her teeth as silent tears ran down her face to rest on theirs, mixing with their blood and washing it away.

 _Her boys were dead, and she wasn't there to save them._

* * *

As Sakura crumpled inside her nightmare, her presence inside her mind did the same. Madara watched, still inside of her, as she collapsed to the ground, head pressed as far as it could go into the non-existent floor of the void. Her could barely hear her soft sobs. It sounded more like she was gasping for air than anything else.

He approached her. Put a gloved hand on her shoulder. "Do you understand now, Sakura?"

There was no answer.

His voice grew sharper. "Sakura!"

He wrenched her up by her arm, drawing her closer to see her face-

Blankness. Pure blankness. Her eyes were wide open, staring at nothing. She looked alarmingly the same as when her comrade had berated her about Naruto's unrequited feelings for her. As if she were in so much pain from the revelation - the revelation that _she_ was causing him this pain - that she had felt temporarily numb. She hadn't even realized she was showing him the memory as it was happening, but he never missed a single thing.

But this wasn't a temporary numbness holding her now. This was Haruno Sakura, confronted with the images of her best friends dying in front of her. This was Sakura, confronted with the unthinkable, the unendurable.

She was in utter _shock._ If not outright catatonic.

It seemed like hours passed after that. Madara waited for her to rouse from her stupor. But she made no move to do so. Not when he shook her. Not when he pulled back her head, fingers grasping in her hair above her giant forehead. Nor when he talked to her.

She was faraway now, in her own world, in a place where even her own mind couldn't reach her. Perhaps in a place somewhere beyond agony.

Disappointed, he stood up, staring at her limp body as she lay facedown in the void. Once in a while, her body would shudder with silent sobs, but aside from that, she was subdued, motionless. Her hair completely covered her face, and for that, he was briefly thankful. She looked so _broken_ lying there. Like her inner light had been utterly snuffed.

It disturbed him more than it should have. After all, he had seen everything to do with war. His heart should be hardened to scenes such as these...

"Haruno Sakura...how unfortunate," he muttered as he began to turn away, ostensibly to leave her head and return to the real world.

 _"Hello..."_

Madara stiffened. He was suddenly standing absolutely still, every sense on alert. For he had clearly heard a voice whispering in the void-

 _"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."_

 _Thump. Thump. Thump._

There were heavy footsteps coming his way.

 _Another presence in her mind...?_ Madara's thoughts raced wildly. _But how did I not sense it before? And who would...?_

The footsteps stopped, somewhere to his left, beyond his vision. But it sounded so near... "Who is there?" he called out.

Silence, and then... a chuckle. Not a happy-sounding one, but a grim one, concealing some negative emotion... anger, perhaps? _"Peekaboo!"_

Madara visualized his gunbai and then brandished it. "Show yourself," he demanded.

Before his very eyes, an invisible door opened in the white space. _How? How had it hidden so well from his Rinnegan?!_ The footsteps resumed.

Through the door came a giant so tall that Madara had to crane his neck to see its head. He wondered briefly if this was how the enemies of his Susanoo felt, as his eyes zoomed in on the intruder's face. _Not just any giant,_ he realized.

Washed-out colors, greyscale really... Legs for miles... Bare, clenched fists... And a very familiar face... Except instead of a diamond on her forehead, this one had "Inner Sakura" scrawled across. _No,_ Madara realized. _He_ was the intruder here.

Inner Sakura stared down at him, the way one might stare down at a bug. She didn't seem in any rush to squash him - she was just contemplating him with an unnerving calmness. For now.

Brief alarm surged through Madara. Quickly he formed Susanoo's bones around himself, layering them with armor and wings. Soon, Madara's perfect-form Susanoo stood toe-to-toe with Sakura's inner demon - though, to Madara's chagrin, they were at even height. Nevertheless, two of Susanoo's arms quickly drew swords, brandishing them in case the giantess made to attack.

Inner Sakura might have rolled her eyes. She folded her arms across her chest, unimpressed.

"That's not the entire story, you know," she said. "What you saw inside of her..." she nodded to the unconscious Sakura far below them, "...was an incomplete picture."

Through the eyes of his Susanoo, Madara looked at the giantess questioningly.

Inner Sakura sighed. "Come with me. I have something to show you."

She took Susanoo's arm. Her lack of fear made Madara quite wary indeed. With a forcefulness he couldn't resist, she led him further into the light.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: You guys are the best reviewers in the whole world! :) Thank you more than I can say for your words of kindness to me, and your encouragement to not let what my beloved did get to me. Still dealing with losing a lot of self-confidence, which makes it harder to write, and I don't even want to describe the kind of month I've been having at home (which at one point I thought I was going to have to flee, after a family "support" organization put me and my son at risk) - but you guys make a world of difference to me. I love you guys. I'm NOT gonna give up writing this! No matter how stuck I get, I will always keep writing for you guys!

I'm sorry (again) for taking so long. I haven't finished this chapter yet (I know exactly what happens but am having trouble writing it with any confidence), but honestly, maybe posting what I have will help me to finish it and keep going, instead of remaining stuck as I've been for the past 3+ months. So as crazy as it sounds, I'm gonna try it (update: finished. Thank you, Tobiramamara, for helping to ease my anxieties and helping me let go. :) ). I'll try not to keep you guys waiting... I know Sasori would be displeased too. Speaking of... Happy Birthday Sasori! XD And without further ado...

Lots of love to you all,

~SectumSemprae

 **Mottled**

-CHAPTER FOURTEEN-

 **-/-**

They waded through unceasing light. Madara thought there might have been shadows here and there, but they were vague, just the slightest off-tint to their surroundings. Every so often, these shadows would briefly swirl, as though trying to become whole, to take on a specific form. But always, they were swept away instead by the ubiquitous mist. Madara frowned.

"The air, this... mental space... it is getting heavier, is it not?"

Sakura's demon - or "Inner Sakura", as her overly large forehead read - seemed lost in thought. Finally, she answered. "Funny, isn't it? Her memories of failure stay so close to the surface. To find the moments when she is truly proud of herself, you have to dig deep."

Madara found this an odd answer to his question. He studied Inner Sakura for a moment, letting his eyes wander deliberately over her. "What are you exactly?"

Except for her physical features, she bore almost no resemblance to the woman who Madara had begun to know these past couple of weeks.

"I'm her Inner Sakura! Obviously!"

"But what does that mean? Are you a separate personality of hers? An infestation of chakra inhabiting the backdrop of her brain? Or, asked another way, are you her source of strength... or her source of weakness?"

The Sakura he knew had a kind of softness to her posture and mannerisms. She could most definitely be firm when she was performing her medical duties, but that mostly came out in the merits of seriousness and focus. Other times she seemed rather emotional, prone to overreacting to minor slights in entertaining ways... and yet it was never serious. Overall, there was a _gentleness_ to Sakura that he had come to know.

But this Inner Sakura of hers radiated pure hostility. True, Sakura had been a ferocious force when she had fought him over Sasuke's wellbeing... But this Inner Sakura went far beyond even _that_. It was the sort of belligerence possessed only by a shinobi who had already fallen over sanity's edge, a shinobi utterly consumed by their feelings. For many years, his anger had been a great motivator in battle... until Hashirama had gotten past his defenses. Now he knew... there must be _balance_ in the ideal shinobi - neither too blank nor too emotional. To sway too far in either direction was to become vulnerable. Unbalanced.

"Her strength, obviously! I'm her inner warrior! I'm the true manifestation of her feelings, all the things she could never say!"

Sakura often drew strength from her feelings. If that were the case, then just how much had he already dealt with this Inner Sakura before? Just how often was she truly behind the wheel of Sakura's actions? Or was she someone that Sakura normally kept at bay?

"So..." Madara grinned casually, "you're a conglomeration of all her suppressed feelings, manifest as an imaginary friend. _Sakura's_ imaginary friend. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

At this, a vein bulged in the demon's forehead. "I'm not imaginary!" Her voice raised a few decibels, and she unconsciously gripped his Susanoo's arm tighter than before.

"Now, now... There's nothing wrong with that. I am all about imagination; it makes a shinobi more adaptable, after all. The Infinite Tsukuyomi would have celebrated the imaginations of all the dreamers-"

"I. Am. _Not._ Imaginary!"

"Would you prefer being referred to as an inbuilt alarm system? You appeared when Sakura's own personality shut down as a bid to protect her. Very impressive. Not every shinobi can manage to create this. My credits to her."

"Tell her that yourself when she wakes up, asshole! Assuming _you_ wake up by the time I'm done with you!"

Madara hummed. Inner Sakura yanked him; if he were a lesser person, his Susanoo would have stumbled.

He frowned down at her hand on Susanoo's arm. "You know, I am quite capable of walking on my own. There is no need to be so clingy, imaginary friend of Sakura's."

With how quick-tempered this one seemed, he had half-expected her to release him and challenge him, or at minimum wave her fist around. But instead, his words seemed to have the opposite effect: Inner Sakura reined herself in and instead strengthened her grasp on Susanoo, so that she was practically dragging him now. "No. It would be rude to leave my guest unescorted," she replied. He could hear her gritting her teeth.

Madara sighed. This was all very fun, but... "Perhaps I did not make myself clear. It would greatly behoove you to let go of my Susanoo's arm _this instant_ , before I _make you_." He allowed his words to carry a slight edge. That was warning enough for most people.

At this, Inner Sakura actually stopped. Madara waited with anticipation for the inevitable explosion of her temper.

Glancing back over her shoulder at him, Inner Sakura no longer looked perturbed. Instead, she _smiled_ at him with all her teeth. "I'd like to see you try."

 _With insolence like that..._

"Very well," Madara growled lowly. In an instant, Susanoo bristled, crackling with energy, no longer compliant nor lax in her hold. The spectral warrior raised its swords, and Madara swept a handsign in front of his mouth. "Fire Style! Majestic-"

"SHANNAROOO!" Inner Sakura glared at him suddenly. Her grip tightened on Susanoo's arm-

 _CRR-ACK!_

Just like that, the arm splintered, then broke off, shattering into nothingness along with its sword. Madara's warrior immediately spawned another sword in its third arm, but Inner Sakura grabbed that arm too, putting enough pressure into her grasp to make Susanoo's bones creak ominously. Madara himself was shaking in barely concealed rage and horror.

"How-?!"

"My domain, remember?" Inner Sakura hissed. She pulled Susanoo's arm, and the bones groaned again. "Now stop wasting time and follow me."

Madara was unnerved into silence. For once, he complied.

They continued to sift through the void. Every so often, they would pass patches of grey, shadows amongst the white.

"Put the swords away," Inner Sakura finally spoke. "They're annoying."

"Excuse me?"

Inner Sakura definitely rolled her eyes that time. "I said, if you don't put those two swords away _right now_ , then I will _spank you_ with _both_ of them." She smiled sweetly. "Please?"

Madara glared at her. Usually it would be intimidating to his enemies. But it didn't seem to intimidate the giantess. Instead, she regarded him as she might a pouting toddler.

Did he really want to push this point with her? He could get into a skirmish about dominance - in fact, every one of his instincts was telling him to, lest he allow this _brat_ to push him around - but this was one objective that might require a bit more... finesse. After all, he was here for information. Suppose he let her have her way? Let her think she was in control... She might be more willing to divulge the information he sought. In the end, it wouldn't matter - once he was out of her head, she would be at his mercy once more. And he could leave her head anytime he wanted...

This "mission" would require more humility than he was used to... But to be honest, ever since he had reconciled with Hashirama, he had felt like pushing his own boundaries a bit more. It was settled, then.

Madara sighed. "Very well," he murmured aloud. The swords extinguished themselves. He ignored Inner Sakura's incredulous 'ehhh?' and focused on matters at hand. "Now then, where are you taking me?"

"Patience."

The brat had regained her cheek too quickly. Madara managed to keep his poker face. Barely.

"You remember saying that to us a few days ago, when you had us chained up? 'Patience'?"

He blinked. "I do remember. You were listening?"

She scoffed. "We're the same person, you know. She's just a little more… _polite_ than I am."

"How interesting... so Sakura acts more like a conscience for the both of you, while you're more her imaginary inner demon. Isn't that somewhat reversed?"

"I'm not imaginary! And I'm not a demon... You make me sound like a Tailed Beast or something!" Inner Sakura wrinkled her nose. "I prefer to think of myself as her mental shadow. Her true inner self-" she pointed to the name scrawled across her forehead and smirked, "-or haven't you read? I call her my Outer Sakura." She smiled affectionately.

"You have not denied, however, that she acts as the conscience for the both of you. Isn't that supposed to be your job?"

"If anything," the brat looked at him now through half-lidded eyes, seething, " _you're_ now her inner demon. The devil sitting on her shoulder, whispering in her ear. _'Writhe, puny mortal!'_ " she mocked both her outer self and him, raising her hands and making a face, hissing into his Susanoo's ear instead, " _'I am a God!'_ "

Susanoo swatted her away with a massive hand. Madara was pleased to note that now both arms were free; Inner Sakura had let them go during her melodramatics.

"I will call you 'Imaginary Sakura'. That seems appropriate. So, Imaginary Sakura, if this is your domain," Madara kept a straight face and his arms folded across his chest, ignoring Inner Sakura's death glare, "then why did you not confront me earlier, when I first threatened your real... excuse me... _Outer_ self?"

Inner's belligerent demeanor disappeared instantly. She gave him a solemn look. "Because that girl handles herself a lot better than you acknowledge."

"And it is your undertaking to make sure I acknowledge her, is it?"

"More like, to give you a balanced perspective." Inner stopped suddenly. "Ah, here we are."

Madara peered into the mist. He could see nothing.

"Before," and here she glared at him, and he could feel the heat of her glare through the chill of the mist, "you forced her to relive our worst memories. You jerk!" She raised a fist, glowering menacingly at him. "How is she supposed to show you who she is, when you only want to see her at her worst?! In order to understand us, you need to see her at our best, too." She lowered her fist, her anger seemingly evaporating. She jerked a thumb at herself instead in a surprisingly Naruto-like gesture. "That's what I'm here for."

"So you are here to brag about her." He glanced around warily. Really, what else were they here for? Certainly not to uncover the roots of her worldly dream. If this demoness thought she could waste his time like this-!

"Not really bragging..." Inner mused. "I'm here to show you why you oughta give peace a chance."

"Are you now?" He allowed his interest to show minimally. "I am listening."

"It wasn't a question of whether or not you're listening!" Inner Sakura barked. "You'll see it whether you want to or not! _SHANNARO!"_ And with that, she slugged Susanoo so hard that Madara saw stars, and something else.

A flash of white, and then he was in another place and another time.

* * *

"It's been forever!" Voices swam in Madara's consciousness. "You never train with me anymore, Ino..."

He blinked. He was standing on his feet, but with a raging headache. He quickly straightened up and masked his face with indifference. An Uchiha, especially the leader of their once-prestigious clan, must never show weakness.

That _demoness_ had better pray that he didn't see her anytime soon. If he did, he would not hold back: as soon as she was within striking range, he would teach that brat a lesson she would never forget!

He exhaled slowly, the way he had whenever Hashirama or one of his younger brothers, or White Zetsu or Obito for that matter, tried his patience. Instead of planning his revenge on Imaginary Sakura (the image of her fury at that nickname had him mentally chuckling), he shifted his focus back to the scene in front of him.

It was Sakura and Ino once again. Only this time, the two girls had matured into young women, and instead of a sunlit field, they were sitting in a dreary-seeming room, green chakra glowing around their hands. They were each working on a fish, sealing up a sizable gash on each of the poor specimens. Despite himself, Madara found himself observing their technique. Medical ninjutsu was still new to him, and he found himself watching with new interest as younger Sakura's hands did their work. Medical texts were strewn about the small room.

He groaned. Did this Imaginary Sakura mean to suggest that he ought to be stuck listening to women's chatter for all of eternity?

Madara wrinkled his nose; the smell of the fish filled the area, and under that, he could vaguely detect the stench of numerous brats congregating. There was no question in his mind that they were in Konoha yet again... So were they somewhere near the Ninja Academy, assuming his and Hashirama's dream had actually worked out? Of course it had... how could it not? It had been dreamed up, after all, by the two greatest shinobi in the entire world.

It was clearly near the end of the girls' medical practice, for a moment later, both fish flopped to life. Ino shrugged while Sakura took care of the fish, dropping them into a large tank to swim freely.

"Well, what can I say, Forehead? My place is on Team Asuma-"

"Or you just don't like that Tsunade-shishou said I was the senior apprentice."

Ino fumed while Sakura burst out laughing.

Usually what followed would have been some glaring contest, and a declaration that they wouldn't lose to each other - Madara didn't know _how_ he knew this information, but he did - but instead, Ino's brow smoothed out, and she smiled cheekily back at Sakura.

"Hey, I don't have the big forehead you do to memorize all those medical texts!"

Sakura pouted while Ino laughed in turn.

"Still... It'll be good to make sure I don't get rusty, just in case Shikamaru or Choji need me to heal their scratches."

Sakura scoffed, and the two girls opened up their scrolls simultaneously to continue practicing. A new fish and an octopus appeared on the scrolls.

After a few minutes, Sakura spoke. "But really, Ino... It is good to have you train with me again."

Ino stole a look at Sakura. The soft green light of the healing jutsu made Sakura's eyes appear even deeper than usual.

"Shishou always says that there ought to be one medic per four-man squad. So far, I am the only one of our generation learning medical ninjutsu. Until you, Ino."

"Can't Hinata do something like this too?"

"A little. Her Byakugan would make her an exceptional medic-nin. But she mostly trains with her father and Neji, perfecting her gentle fist."

Ino nodded. "It seems like everyone from the Konoha's 11 is spending more time with their parents or mentors, learning new specialized jutsu. Well," she grimaced. "Except for Tenten."

"Actually, that's not so. I heard from her recently. Guy is finally taking time out of his busy Lee-filled schedule to train with her too. He's helping her train with new weapons."

"Never thought I'd see the day!" Ino grinned. She nudged Sakura, momentarily breaking her concentration on the healing jutsu. "So, I heard Kakashi-sensei returned to Leaf last week. Have you been training with him?"

Sakura was slow to answer. "Not really. He says that since I'm training with a Legendary Sannin already, I'm getting all the training I need."

"Nonsense! Whenever I'm not training with my father, I'm off with Team Asuma! One can never overestimate the importance of team-"

"But we don't have a team anymore, remember?" Sakura interrupted.

Ino stilled. Sakura continued healing without looking up. Both girls were lost in their thoughts for a moment. Something like nostalgia, delicate and painful, hung in the air between them. Finally, Sakura broke the silence, though her voice was quieter than usual.

"Kakashi-sensei was always too busy with Sasuke-kun, anyway."

"Do you blame him, with how dreamy Sasuke-kun is, Forehead?" Ino asked, almost desperate to force cheer into her voice. "Of course Kakashi'd want to teach him how to control his power! It'd just make him even cooler!"

"But that wasn't why he spent so much time with him… it was because he wanted to help Sasuke-kun confront his darkness. But in the end, Sasuke-kun left anyway. And we can't follow him."

Ino's eyes narrowed. "And now Naruto's left too, right?"

"Yeah. He's training with Jiraiya-sama."

"And you're training with the Legendary Tsunade-hime! How lucky, Forehead! You're being trained by one of the Sannin. Do you know how many girls wish they could be in your shoes?!"

"I know, Ino. I know how lucky I am..." Sakura continued working for a moment, before the dam burst. "But Kakashi-sensei never visits me! When it was Sasuke-kun, he dedicated a whole month to training just with him, while he left Naruto with Ebizu-sensei, and me with no one at all! True, both Naruto and Sasuke-kun had made it to the final rounds of the Chuunin Exams, but you'd think he'd at least spare a moment for Naruto... He let Sasuke-kun consume all his time as if Naruto and me didn't even exist. Can you imagine what it'd be like if Asuma-sensei only focused on Shikamaru and forgot about you and Choji?"

"Team Asuma's legendary teamwork would fall apart," Ino mumbled. "Sakura..."

"It would do worse than fall apart! Well... maybe not for you guys. Unlike my own team, you guys actually train together."

"But... I mean... at least you get all this time to train with Lady Tsu-"

"Not really. Between her duties as Hokage and revitalizing Konoha General Hospital, we barely have time to train once a week. Most of what I'm doing is practicing on my own in the meantime."

"Really? So you just spend all day here alone, with the scrolls?"

Sakura put a finger to her mouth. "Well, no... Actually, she's been having me come in to the hospital to work as an intern, and as an assistant to her remedial classes alongside Shizune. I'm beginning to administer treatment to patients. So far I'm not treating anything serious, but... What?"

Ino was staring at her in a mixture of amazement and envy.

"Forehead! Do you understand how big that is?! Tsunade's actually giving you responsibilities! That must mean you're further along than you think!"

Sakura's smile was slow and small, but deeply sincere, the sincerest one she'd worn their entire conversation. "...Yeah. I guess you're right, Ino." She sighed. "Still, I wish there were more people from our generation who were learning medical ninjutsu. It really would help to have more medics."

"Well, we can't all be good at medical ninjutsu, and anyway, you have a natural talent for it! It's better we all stick to what we're good at, and what we're passionate about too!"

"But we don't always learn what we want to, Ino... Most of the time, we learn what we _have_ to. Naruto... he went up against Sasuke, and came back in the hospital wing. This is _Naruto_ we're talking about here... He heals from _everything_ , and yet Sasuke hurt him so badly that..." She shook her head. "Never again. I won't let that happen to him - to _them_ \- again without trying to help them!"

"...So I get why you're learning the medical ninjutsu. That makes sense. Why does she teach you super-strength too? Because it'll help you be a combat medic, with all the trouble Naruto and Sasuke-kun attract?"

"Well, that's part of it. But in a way, it's a supplemental to medical ninjutsu as well. Think about it. As a medic-nin, I'll have to help people in all sorts of situations. What if the situation is that there's been a fire or an earthquake, buildings have collapsed, and there are civilians stuck inside? I would use my chakra-enhanced strength to move the rubble out of the way until I could get to them and administer treatment."

"Whoa, Sakura. You think of everything! So, does she at least teach you any cool new jutsu during your once-a-week training?! What about some top-secret super-complicated medical ninjutsu?!"

"No, nothing like that. My profession isn't about creativity. It's about saving people in the most thorough and efficient way we can."

"Wow, you sound so boring now. So... serious. Like a real medic. So then, Sakura... Is this what you...? Is this your ninja path from now on?"

"I suppose so. It's the least I can do..." The corner of Sakura's mouth unexpectedly lifted into a smile. "At least with my chakra-enhanced strength, I can be a combat medic, like you said. Naruto and Sasuke have never let me fight alongside them. Admittedly, it was because I was weak. But maybe now..."

"Hmph... If you and Naruto really wanna bring Sasuke-kun back, you'd think Kakashi would take some time for one-on-one training with you, Forehead. You sure could use it! Comparing to the rest of your team, you know you're the weakest in terms of ninjutsu."

"I know that, Pig! But Kakashi-sensei only ever gave one-on-one training to Sasuke-kun. Because…" _Sasuke was his favorite. And when Naruto comes back, he'll probably be Kakashi-sensei's new favorite._

"It's true that Asuma-sensei has a favorite." Ino knew what Sakura was thinking without her even saying it. "Shika's always been his favorite, but me and Choji are still acknowledged by him. But you… Sakura… your team left you behind… didn't they?"

Sakura nodded solemnly. A slow hardness entered her eyes - a gathering of strength. The two girls' gaze met and held, determination surging between them.

"They left me behind… But not _alone_. We can do this, Ino."

* * *

"You can't do this, Sakura!"

"But Tsunade-shishou-"

"Tsunade-sama! Control yourself!"

Madara blinked. The scene had changed. He was standing in what was clearly a hospital room, somewhere on a high floor. Before him stood Sakura, slightly younger than she was now, alongside two women. One he recognized as Hashirama's granddaughter. The other woman was middle-aged, somewhere in between Sakura and Tsunade, and had shoulder-length black hair and black eyes. She looked and sounded like an assistant of some kind.

Madara glanced out the window and nearly choked; Hashirama's visage stared back at him, same as always. Stone, after all, did not age. And now, next to Hashirama were other faces. _Tobirama,_ he mused with a sneer, _but of course..._. Beside his hated enemy were two faces he had seen only briefly during the Fourth Great Ninja War, and beside those, Hashirama's granddaughter. He had to admit, out of all of them, Hashirama's was the most flattering.

 _He was in Konoha._

Well, of course he was... That was where Sakura hailed from, of course. But still... A shiver went through him as he realized he was standing within the very hospital that he and Hashirama had founded almost eight decades ago. _It's sure grown since back then._

Inner Sakura drew him away from his musings by poking him. "You can sightsee later." She had materialized beside him out of thin air, like the imaginary inner demoness of Sakura she denied herself to be. Madara pointedly ignored her.

"It's got to be me," the memory of Sakura was saying firmly. "I'm the one who invented the wretched thing. What kind of a medic would I be if I let one of you two suffer the potential consequences? At least if anything happens, then it dies with me."

"Stop being melodramatic!" Tsunade clenched her fist, her eyes flashing.

 _Look who's talking,_ Madara thought.

"Shizune or myself are better equipped to handle it if something does go wrong. And you need to observe the effects this jutsu has on a target! Don't gamble with your own safety!"

"With all due respect, shishou, I need to know first-hand what the target would feel. To make sure that they wouldn't be able to escape the effects of the jutsu without special knowledge - knowledge that only you, myself, and Shizune would possess. And also... I need to make sure that I myself wouldn't fall prey to the effects of this jutsu. What better way to know how to cure it, than to experience it myself?"

Tsunade scoffed.

"Tsunade-sama, I think Sakura has a point," the third woman - Shizune - spoke up. "Since it will almost certainly be Sakura who goes on the retrieval mission, supposing the original reason for her creation of this jutsu occurs? Wouldn't it help her to know how to cure herself or someone else if Kabuto ever uses a similar jutsu?"

"But it was only an experiment!" Tsunade burst out, frustrated. "Kabuto won't invent this exact jutsu - this is Sakura's alone! Whatever jutsus he has up his sleeves are more likely to involve poison. Or blood." She shuddered. "Or else outright severing someone else's chakra networks or tendons or... It's better to focus on developing the technique as an offensive one, rather than play defense all the time!"

"...In which case, I would _still_ need to know the effects it has on the target, to make sure it is truly an offensive one."

"Gah!" Tsunade threw up her hands. "Fine, Sakura! You win. You happy?"

"I'll never be happy to be the inventor of such a technique," Sakura said gravely. Her tone immediately sobered both Tsunade and Shizune.

Madara narrowed his eyes. "The Five-Senses Blinding Technique?"

When he looked at Imaginary Sakura, he saw she was clenching teeth and fists both, her eyes blazing. "Yes," she gritted out.

"Alright. Now watch carefully at how I do this..." The younger Sakura wove a couple of simple handsigns before the chakra came to her fingertips. It was bright green. "Now, here's how the yin ratio looks..." She launched into an explanation as the other two women nodded and followed along.

Absently, Madara activated healing chakra into his own hand, hidden beneath his gloves, and let it flicker through his fingertips as he played with the yin-yang ratios. He thought he was being discreet until Inner Sakura rolled her eyes at him. "Quit screwing around. You can play with your chakra later, this is important!"

"Alright, shishou. I'm ready!"

Tsunade hesitated once more. "Sakura-"

Sakura faced her mentor resolutely. Madara could see a familiar fire burning behind her eyes. With a start, he realized it was the same look she had when she had fought him over Sasuke, back in the hideout. That look she'd had in the hallway, with the torchlight flickering in her eyes... He shook his head to clear himself of his musings.

"I _have_ to do this, shishou. I won't be left behind again."

 _I see,_ Madara realized. _She does this as a way of marking herself a true medic-ninja, a mature fighter who can handle the consequences of her own actions and choices. All so she can catch up to Naruto and Sasuke while carrying her own weight..._

Tsunade sighed. "Very well." She rolled up a sleeve, preparing herself. "You know the drill. Count to 300 in your head, then begin attempting to break the jutsu. If you're able to, respond or give an indication that you're aware of anything I say or do to you in this time. Make sure to say whatever symptoms you're feeling out loud, if you're able to." She shivered. "If your vitals begin to drop, or you've gone 30 minutes without breaking the jutsu, Shizune or I will step in." She drew a deep breath, and suddenly, she sounded like the older woman she truly was. "Good luck, Sakura."

"Thank you, shishou." Sakura stood straighter, lifting her chin. He could see the tension run through her frame. She was steeling herself.

Before Hashirama's granddaughter could activate the jutsu, Madara felt himself abruptly warped. He had a split-second of alarm to realize that he was in Sakura's body.

 _WHAM!_

The blow seemed to echo around him like a physical thing. He felt the brief pressure from Tsunade's fingertips, and then he was lost to the outside world, unable to feel the blow from her. He could, however, feel a sort of ache inside his own body, strange and not connected to anything else.

"H-how-?"

"Because some pain is in the realm of proprioception," a voice spoke in his head. Imaginary Sakura's, of course. "Think about how your stomach aches when you haven't had enough to eat - that's proprioception. The pain you feel isn't caused by an external source acting on your body; it's caused by your body knowing itself and what you need to survive. Your body knows the effects of Tsunade-shishou's jutsu, how it makes your insides feel, but it no longer knows the source."

"You mean _your_ body," Madara ground out, "and your jutsu. Or rather, your real self's. _You put me in here with her, didn't you?!_ "

Inner (for he could no longer think of her as 'imaginary', not after what she had just done) Sakura's laugh 'sounded' in his head. "I thought actually being in our shoes might make this experience more vivid for you. Maybe now you'll understand our perspective better." She chuckled again at her own joke.

"Aren't you afraid now that I'll know how to cure your jutsu, should you ever afflict me with it again?"

"No. You'd need much more specialized control over your medical ninjutsu in order to reverse its effects. It was hard for us, so imagine how impossible it might be for _you_."

Madara gritted his teeth, or rather, Sakura's. Or at least, he thought he did. It was hard to tell. He thought he had, and now that Inner mentioned it, he did feel a weird pressure in the space where his body was supposed to be (though, without the physical world to ground him to reality, did he even have a body anymore? It surely did not feel like it). He felt as though he were floating away. Everything was hazy.

Slowly he became aware of a low voice in his head, counting. But it wasn't a true voice. He couldn't really "hear" it, so much as feel it, like an instinct. Even feeling itself was fading from his consciousness, except for the vague sensations of his own body. Blood squelching through arteries and veins. Muscles tensing and relaxing. Gasses moving through the cracks.

He felt a sudden pang of despair. What was happening to him?

"As we're losing contact with the outside world, we're feeling a sudden shift in brain chemistry. Among other things, our serotonin levels are unbalanced - serotonin plays a huge role, whether as an instigator or as a response, in conditions like anxiety and depression, though we're still studying the specifics. Of course, it also depends on each individual's constitution. Our body is in freeze mode right now. Most animals will respond to threats with either fight, flight, freeze, or faint. In our case, you got freeze. Who knows what your response would be in your own body? After all, for some reason our jutsu didn't work on you..." She seemed a bit bitter. "You're going to have to explain why it didn't one day. Assuming we make it out alive. Are you planning to kill us, by the way?"

So that was it. Madara's eyes would have narrowed, if he'd had any. It wasn't really _him_ reacting this way - it was _Sakura,_ and because he was presently inside of her, he felt everything she did. Including her psychological reactions to the jutsu.

He mentally shuddered. Was this what a non-Uchiha felt like whenever they were hit with a jutsu?

"Somehow, I get the feeling you'd be a fighter..." Inner Sakura mused. "I wonder if that could have been how you threw off the jutsu? A different brain chemistry, perhaps?"

"Stop rambling!" Madara hissed.

Inner Sakura stopped talking.

He felt a wave of panic envelop him. He had reached the count of 300. But what now? He couldn't feel anything at all. Should he report this? How was he going to break this jutsu?

He felt his body gathering chakra, molding it and then quickly disrupting it. He tried to shout "release", but who knew if his mouth even moved? He thought it did.

Still nothing.

He felt a rush of practical thoughts. Perhaps if he pinpointed where in his body the technique took most effect, then he could focus the dissipation there. Assuming this did have a genjutsu component, which is what he had believed when he accidentally discovered this jutsu. If only he had his Sharingan, then he could do this so easily-

Madara's own thoughts stopped cold, while the practical thoughts continued through his mind like a backdrop. Where was his iron control now?! If Madara could have, he would have thrown something, or possibly burned down a small forest in his rage and fear. Sakura's thoughts had overwhelmed him so easily! For a moment, he had forgotten what it was to be himself and had become totally immersed in... _her_. _How...?_ How could someone so weak have taken over his mind so easily?!

Madara raged silently, impotently. Meanwhile, Sakura's mind slowly pieced together strategy after strategy, attempting to break the jutsu's hold over them. She tried to yell "release" once again.

The trickle of fear became an infection. Madara - no, _Sakura_ \- felt like crying. He couldn't live like this! He would do anything to feel the sun on his skin, to open his eyes and _see_ , to hear even the shrillest most annoying voice right now. But instead, he remained at the bottom of a deep dark pit, dead and buried, beyond sensation or life. He couldn't live in this cold hell! Was... was he sobbing? He couldn't tell.

 _Basolateral amygdala._

That one thought stopped his panic cold. It had come from Sakura's mind. And in that moment, Madara trusted Sakura. He knew, with desperate certainty, that she would get them out of this. He could feel Sakura's own fear coming under control, and determination - _her_ determination, that he knew so well in battle - emerged.

She was trying to press her fingers against the back of her head, trying to call chakra to them, relying on proprioception to trust that she was doing it. Her mind focused on a single point-

"SAKURA!"

The world of sensation rushed back so suddenly that it nearly bowled him over. Tsunade's voice seemed magnified to him. There was a pair of hands on each of his shoulders; he felt that now. His legs had collapsed. And-

There were tears running down Sakura's face.

At this, Madara felt himself distancing quickly from Sakura's mind once again, as if crossing a room to get away from someone. But he could not deny that he too would be shedding his own tears of relief, were the experience truly his.

Was this what Sakura went through to create that wretched jutsu? Why? Why put herself through this torture? Madara would have pondered more, but his stomach lurched. He felt Tsunade gently lower Sakura to the ground so the girl could sit steadily. Her limbs were shaking.

"H-how long-?"

"25 minutes. Had you been five minutes more, we would have tried something. Y-you-"

"You didn't respond to any stimulus," Shizune took over speaking. She looked every bit as rattled as Tsunade did. "We conducted standard tests, as we might for a coma patient, with modifications due to your body's positioning. You didn't respond to our stimulus. But you were struggling to break the jutsu. You shouted 'release' four times."

"It was the basolateral amygdala," Sakura panted. "That was the section of the brain this jutsu targeted the most." Suddenly, she slumped forward. There was a ringing in her ears that felt like a jackhammer.

"Whoa! Slow and steady! Your senses are still coming back. Being deprived of senses like that takes a toll."

"So would we still be able to use this jutsu for capture?" Sakura asked, going back to business as usual. "If we disorient the target enough, would that possibly compromise any intelligence?"

"I'll have to check with Ibiki, but likely no. We could allow for a recovery period. If anything, Ibiki would probably be inclined to modify the jutsu into one suitable for interrogation."

Sakura visibly shivered.

"Was it that bad?" Tsunade immediately grew concerned.

"...I have no doubt that Ibiki-san would find a way to make the jutsu terrifying, if he so chose to."

 _Why are you not sharing your own real fears?_ Madara wondered silently.

"Because she doesn't want Lady Tsunade worrying about her." Madara tried not to jump at Inner Sakura's sudden return. He blamed the experience Outer Sakura had just endured for his suddenly shaky nerves. "You can already tell that shishou blames herself for not being the test subject."

"But nevertheless, wouldn't it be prudent to share the full psychological experience, in order to better document its effects?" he questioned back.

Inner Sakura did not answer. Madara could almost feel the direction of her mental focus. Hashirama's grand-brat was speaking again.

"This could be a valuable tool in our arsenal. I want you to practice it, or at least memorize it well, Sakura."

"Yes, milady." She hesitated. "Would you have me use it on Sasuke-kun?"

"Possibly. But if Kabuto gets in your way, use it on him too. Only do something different in Kabuto's case if you successfully perform the jutsu. And Sakura..."

"Y-yes?"

"If you have Uchiha Sasuke under this jutsu's effects, focus on restraining him. In Kabuto's case, you will have to cripple him. As a fellow medic, he has the greatest likelihood of reversing the jutsu. And as he stands now, he is more dangerous than Sasuke. When you have him at your mercy, cut his tendons. Block his chakra if possible. Hell, cut off his hands, if you have to. Use this jutsu to its maximum potential for devastation."

"But... further crippling an enemy who is already at our mercy? Shishou, are you sure?"

"We cannot let Kabuto escape, particularly with knowledge of this jutsu. If he were to learn it or replicate it himself, who knows what he would do with it? Who knows what similar jutsu he already uses for nefarious purposes?"

At this, Sakura's eyes hardened. Madara's breath caught at the raw surge of emotion he felt in her, as it welled up in him too.

"He's a man who experiments on children. Such a thing is unforgiveable to me," she said slowly but with growing determination. "Taking him down would mean protecting countless children from him, so… Tsunade-shishou! I will use it on him without hesitation!"

"That's my girl!" Tsunade patted Sakura's head.

* * *

Between one blink and the next, his surroundings had changed once again. For a moment, subtle panic gripped him. _Was he still within Sakura?_ He could feel the weight of his long hair upon his back, and he could sense the power within his eyes. He looked down at his hands briefly. _Yes._ He was himself again. The relief that flooded him then was more powerful than he could have imagined.

Madara took a look around and scowled.

"A cave. Really, Imaginary Sakura?"

It was a cavern, to be more precise. Not nearly so nice as his own, Madara noted, plus there was a rather large hole in the side of it, which allowed the natural light from outside to seep in. His own cave was cozier and far less drafty.

A memory of Sakura once again stood in the center of the cavern. To her right stood an old lady, swaddled in robes. Judging by the fashion of her attire, he guessed her to be a woman of the Sand.

Directly in front of them was a gruesome-looking shinobi. Madara wasn't sure what to make of him at first: he was bent on all fours and wore a scrap of fabric over his mouth, so that only his bloodshot eyes and raked hair were visible. There was an enormous bone tail coming from him, which Madara was sure wasn't natural-

"Why are you complaining? You seem to like caves well enough."

Madara's left eye-bag twitched. Imaginary Sakura had materialized next to him. It was all he could do to restrain himself from trying to choke the life out of her this very instant. Regardless, his head whipped around, and he glared at her heatedly.

"You should know that I do not dance to anyone else's designs but my own. That you had the audacity to place me inside of Sakura's mind that way _without my permission_ will surely spell your–" He blinked. "Is that anmitsu?"

Inner Sakura looked up from her treat. She innocently licked a bit of syrup off her lips before answering. "What? It's my domain, remember? If I want to eat anmitsu here, what's stopping me?"

Madara scoffed. "You are eating _imaginary_ anmitsu, that's what. It sounds less than fulfilling."

Inner scowled. "It's not my fault we barely ate for the past week!"

"Considering you attacked me in my own home, tried to destroy that same home, and assumed the worst of me, I would say you most definitely deserved it," Madara muttered.

Inner Sakura threw down the bowl of her remaining anmitsu. It might have been more dramatic if it had shattered, but instead, it faded into mist the moment it hit the rocky ground. Inner pointed at him menacingly. "You and me, we're going to have a serious talk about what you think is and isn't acceptable to do to people!" she threatened. "I made a mistake, so you torture me for a week? I ought to beat you within an inch of your life and then refuse to provide medical help for a week, see how you like it!"

"As if you could," Madara sneered. "I merely _allowed_ you to challenge me before. Don't be too proud, child: were I not holding back, you would be lying before me, groveling in the dirt and bleeding out on the floor of your own mind!"

Inner trembled with rage. Both hands clenched into fists, and Madara subtly stiffened, readying himself in case of an attack. "That's exactly why I put you inside of Outer's head! After everything you've put us through, you deserve to know a little taste of our pain! You think you can just waltz into our head, put my better half on the brink of despair, and then look down your nose at us and say she deserved it, and you think I'm _not_ gonna do something about it?!"

She looked at him challengingly, as if preparing to fight. Madara, for his part, was looking forward to it. But abruptly the belligerence drained from her yet again. "We'll settle this later. This wasn't why I brought you here."

"Oh really? Then what _is_ so interesting that you would bring me to this cave? Or are you simply vying for time until your Outer self comes to her senses?"

"This fight is one of the most important fights in our entire life." Inner Sakura gestured with her chin towards the people in the center of the cave, who were just now coming to life with movement and sound. She seemed to grow solemn then, as if in anticipation. "This is the day we fought Akasuna no Sasori."


	15. Author's Note (story WILL continue)

Hello, everyone. I am very sorry for taking so long to update. So you know, a few things:

1) Yes, I am still writing this story. I am just struggling mightily on this chapter.

2) My beloved's words left me with a severe lack of self-confidence. You all have given me so much kindness and encouragement, and yet for some reason, his treatment of me (and my mother's as well) in regards to my writing hit a very deep nerve, and I've been struggling for more than a year to feel good about writing again. I've realized that you can't wait for that feeling to return. You MAKE that feeling, by continuing to write. I was a fool to take so long to realize it.

3) I don't know how long it will take me to finish writing this. But I promise you I won't give up until it's done. I will take down this author's note and upload the next chapter as soon as it's finished.

I am so sorry for keeping you waiting. Thank you to everyone for your encouragement and support.

Take care,

~SectumSemprae


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